Philpott wife 'performed sex act on co-accused to keep him onside' after house fire that killed six children

A father accused of killing his six children in a house fire watched as his wife had sex with another man accused of their manslaughter just days after the fatal blaze, a court heard.

Nottingham Crown Court was told how Mick and Mairead Philpott had “rehearsed” how they would respond to the fire after Mr Philpott talked about getting a bigger house for the family.

The couple planned to run outside their home in Victory Road, Derby screaming for help whilst friend Paul Mosley ran in and rescued the youngsters, it was claimed.

Covert police recordings revealed that Mrs Philpott later performed oral sex on Mr Mosley in what the prosecution claimed was an attempt to keep him onside as suspicions over the couple’s involvement in the tragedy grew.

The recordings also captured the couple discussing what they had told police following the fire. Mr Mosley, 46, visited the couple in the Premier Inn room where they were staying in the wake of the children’s deaths. The room was being monitored 24 hours a day by detectives from the Serious and Organised Crime Unit.

Parts of the recordings played to jurors are alleged to reveal sexual activity between the three. Following one alleged sex act Philpott is heard to say to his wife: "I'm proud of you because you didn't want to do it, I'm proud of you because you lied to me."

In another recording Mr Philpott is heard saying he was replaying the fire in his head. "I keep living it over and over and over again. Why couldn't I get in the bedrooms? Why couldn't I get my kids out? Why did the fire spread so ******* quick?” he said.

In earlier evidence the girlfriend of Mr Mosley’s nephew described hearing of a “rehearsal” plan hatched six weeks before the fire.

Melissa John said Mr Mosley made the confession to her after he had been arrested and bailed in connection with the blaze in May last year.

She said: "He said 'What if I was to tell you that we actually rehearsed this six weeks ago?"'

Under cross examination by prosecutor Richard Latham QC, Ms John added: "Mick and Mairead were to be inside the house and Paul was to kick in the back door."

Mr Latham asked her: "What were Mick and Mairead to do?" She replied: "Run out on to the front and scream for help." "What was Paul to do?" Mr Latham asked. Ms John answered: "To save the children from the back bedroom.”

The jury of five women and seven men also heard claims that Mr Mosley said Mr Philpott had been "going on about wanting a bigger house". It was alleged that Mr Philpott, 56, had planned to try and blame the fire on his 31-year-old wife who had written in an earlier suicide note that she intended to harm the couple’s six children.

Ms John said she asked Mr Mosley whether he believed the Philpotts were capable of starting the fire. She claimed he said: “'I don't know but if they did it's something that's gone wrong'."