Derby house fire: parents charged
The parents of six children who died in a fatal council house fire in Derby have been charged with their murder.
Michael Philpott, aged 55, and his wife Mairead Philpott, 31, were charged with murder last night and will appear before Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court this morning.
Their six children Jade Philpott, aged 10, and brothers Duwayne Philpott, 13, John Philpott, 9, Jack Philpott, 7, Jessie Philpott, 6, and Jayden Philpott, 5 all died as a result of the fire in the early hours of Friday 11 May. The property was owned by Derby Council and managed by arm’s-length management organisation Derby Homes.
A spokesperson for the Crown Prosecution Service said: ‘The evidence was reviewed by a crown advocate from the CPS East Midlands complex casework unit, who decided that there was sufficient evidence to charge and that it is in the public interest for a prosecution to take place.
‘It is important to note that the defendants are entitled to a fair trial and nothing should be said or reported that would prejudice that right.’
Assistant chief constable Steve Cotterill made clear the police were still looking for information.
‘Following the appeal yesterday a number of people have come forward with more information but I want to stress that the two charges this evening should not be seen as the end of the investigation,’ he said.
‘We are determined to get to the truth of what happened and still want people to speak to us to tell us what they know about this tragedy.’
A 28-year-old woman and 38-year-old man, both from Derby, were originally arrested by officers investigating the deaths but were released without charge.
