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| Derby house fire: Mick Philpott said 'they have nothing on me', court hears | Derby house fire: Mick Philpott said 'they have nothing on me', court hears |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| A man accused of killing six of his children in a fatal blaze was heard saying "they have nothing on me" in covert recordings made in a prison van, a court has heard. | A man accused of killing six of his children in a fatal blaze was heard saying "they have nothing on me" in covert recordings made in a prison van, a court has heard. |
| The court also heard that a fire investigator believed petrol was used to deliberately start the blaze. | The court also heard that a fire investigator believed petrol was used to deliberately start the blaze. |
| Mick and Mairead Philpott were heard talking in a vehicle taking them to Derby magistrates court on 31 May last year. Nottingham crown court has heard the couple were being monitored 24 hours a day by Serious and Organised Crime detectives. | Mick and Mairead Philpott were heard talking in a vehicle taking them to Derby magistrates court on 31 May last year. Nottingham crown court has heard the couple were being monitored 24 hours a day by Serious and Organised Crime detectives. |
| The couple, along with a third defendant, Paul Mosley, are accused of the manslaughter of the Philpotts' six young children in the fatal fire in Allenton, Derby, on 11 May last year. They deny the charges. The couple were arrested on 29 May. | The couple, along with a third defendant, Paul Mosley, are accused of the manslaughter of the Philpotts' six young children in the fatal fire in Allenton, Derby, on 11 May last year. They deny the charges. The couple were arrested on 29 May. |
| In the van on 31 May, Mr Philpott is heard asking his wife: "Are we sticking to the story?" She replies: "Hmmm." He whispers: "Good." | In the van on 31 May, Mr Philpott is heard asking his wife: "Are we sticking to the story?" She replies: "Hmmm." He whispers: "Good." |
| He then asks her: "Do you know something? Have they got any evidence on you? They've got nothing on me, nothing." | He then asks her: "Do you know something? Have they got any evidence on you? They've got nothing on me, nothing." |
| She is heard to say: "There's a fingerprint on the window." He replies: "That's it. A few discrepancies, that's all it is. One with Shakey [Mosley] about I said I was going out for a drive at night. I can't remember saying that. Vicky said you were stoned and I said we didn't smoke." | She is heard to say: "There's a fingerprint on the window." He replies: "That's it. A few discrepancies, that's all it is. One with Shakey [Mosley] about I said I was going out for a drive at night. I can't remember saying that. Vicky said you were stoned and I said we didn't smoke." |
| He is then heard to say to his wife: "I love you so much. Look at me. We will walk free and prove our innocence, right? And then we'll sort them out, promise you." | He is then heard to say to his wife: "I love you so much. Look at me. We will walk free and prove our innocence, right? And then we'll sort them out, promise you." |
| She replies: "Yeah, like I said, we can't even bury the kids." | She replies: "Yeah, like I said, we can't even bury the kids." |
| He says again that "they've got nothing" on him. | He says again that "they've got nothing" on him. |
| He is heard saying: "Mick, my brief, said that for the judge to do what he's doing he's got to have some big balls because there's no evidence, they've got nothing, there's no, no petrol on me, on me trousers, no glass." | He is heard saying: "Mick, my brief, said that for the judge to do what he's doing he's got to have some big balls because there's no evidence, they've got nothing, there's no, no petrol on me, on me trousers, no glass." |
| A few minutes later he asks his wife: "You definitely sticking with the story?" A second comment: "I didn't mean to do it, on my life," has been disputed by the defence. | A few minutes later he asks his wife: "You definitely sticking with the story?" A second comment: "I didn't mean to do it, on my life," has been disputed by the defence. |
| Martin Barry, a forensics speech analyst called by the defence, said he had listened to the disputed recording "several thousand times". | Martin Barry, a forensics speech analyst called by the defence, said he had listened to the disputed recording "several thousand times". |
| The prosecution allege Philpott can be heard to say: "You definitely sticking with the story? I didn't mean to do it, on my life." Barry agreed the comments "definitely sticking with the story" and "on my life" could be heard, but disputed the words "You" and "I didn't mean to do it". The expert told the court the comments were "unclear" and "obscured" by the noise of the van. | The prosecution allege Philpott can be heard to say: "You definitely sticking with the story? I didn't mean to do it, on my life." Barry agreed the comments "definitely sticking with the story" and "on my life" could be heard, but disputed the words "You" and "I didn't mean to do it". The expert told the court the comments were "unclear" and "obscured" by the noise of the van. |
| Mat Lee, from Derbyshire fire service, told the court he believed the blaze was started deliberately with petrol in the house's hallway in front of the door and quickly spread up the stairs to the three bedrooms. | Mat Lee, from Derbyshire fire service, told the court he believed the blaze was started deliberately with petrol in the house's hallway in front of the door and quickly spread up the stairs to the three bedrooms. |
| He told the jurors: "The most likely cause of the fire was in my opinion the deliberate emission of petrol vapour by a naked flame or spark on the ground floor by a person." | He told the jurors: "The most likely cause of the fire was in my opinion the deliberate emission of petrol vapour by a naked flame or spark on the ground floor by a person." |
| Lee, who arrived at the scene hours after the flames had been extinguished, told the court the blaze quickly spread into the living room, melting polystyrene ceiling tiles which dropped on to the carpet, setting it and a curtain alight. The fire also spread up the carpeted stairs to the bedrooms where the six children were asleep in their beds, he said. | Lee, who arrived at the scene hours after the flames had been extinguished, told the court the blaze quickly spread into the living room, melting polystyrene ceiling tiles which dropped on to the carpet, setting it and a curtain alight. The fire also spread up the carpeted stairs to the bedrooms where the six children were asleep in their beds, he said. |
| Lee told the court that most of the UPVC front door, which had been locked during the fire, had been burned away by the intense heat. He said smoke patterns found during expert investigations suggested the flames came from inside the property rather than outside. | Lee told the court that most of the UPVC front door, which had been locked during the fire, had been burned away by the intense heat. He said smoke patterns found during expert investigations suggested the flames came from inside the property rather than outside. |
| No evidence of ignitable materials were found on the front step or on the door mat, Lee told the court. | No evidence of ignitable materials were found on the front step or on the door mat, Lee told the court. |
| When asked by Richard Latham QC how and where the fire was most likely to have started, Lee told the jury: "The fire started directly behind the front door in the hallway. Petrol vapour was ignited by a spark or more than likely a naked flame. The front door began to decompose. The fire developed due to the involvement of the flames and fumes from the UPVC door." | When asked by Richard Latham QC how and where the fire was most likely to have started, Lee told the jury: "The fire started directly behind the front door in the hallway. Petrol vapour was ignited by a spark or more than likely a naked flame. The front door began to decompose. The fire developed due to the involvement of the flames and fumes from the UPVC door." |
| He said the fire moved up the staircase assisted by the carpet cladding and an open window at the top of the landing. Blackened walls upstairs showed the upstairs doors were open, allowing the heat and smoke to spread into the bedrooms, he said. | He said the fire moved up the staircase assisted by the carpet cladding and an open window at the top of the landing. Blackened walls upstairs showed the upstairs doors were open, allowing the heat and smoke to spread into the bedrooms, he said. |
| A written statement was read to the jury from Detective Constable Baldish Chauhal, who attended Birmingham children's hospital with the Philpotts to see their eldest son on 12 May. Duwayne was transferred to the hospital from Derby Royal hospital following the fire and was fighting for his life on the intensive care unit, the court has heard. | A written statement was read to the jury from Detective Constable Baldish Chauhal, who attended Birmingham children's hospital with the Philpotts to see their eldest son on 12 May. Duwayne was transferred to the hospital from Derby Royal hospital following the fire and was fighting for his life on the intensive care unit, the court has heard. |
| In her statement, Chauhal said Philpott rushed out of the intensive care unit when the doctor told him the 13-year-old's chances of survival were small. Minutes later, Philpott was seen on the floor surrounded by family and friends. | In her statement, Chauhal said Philpott rushed out of the intensive care unit when the doctor told him the 13-year-old's chances of survival were small. Minutes later, Philpott was seen on the floor surrounded by family and friends. |
| In her statement Chauhal said: "There was a commotion near the stairwell and someone saying Mick had fallen down the stairs. Mick was on the floor surrounded by family members and friends." | In her statement Chauhal said: "There was a commotion near the stairwell and someone saying Mick had fallen down the stairs. Mick was on the floor surrounded by family members and friends." |
| She said Philpott indicated that he had hit his head on the floor after fainting and was taken for treatment. | She said Philpott indicated that he had hit his head on the floor after fainting and was taken for treatment. |
| Chauhal also said Philpott fainted following a press conference held for the media on 16 May. The jury was for the first time shown clips from the press conference, which was held by the couple five days after the blaze. During the conference, led by Derbyshire police, the couple thanked friends and emergency services staff for their attempts to rescue their six children. | Chauhal also said Philpott fainted following a press conference held for the media on 16 May. The jury was for the first time shown clips from the press conference, which was held by the couple five days after the blaze. During the conference, led by Derbyshire police, the couple thanked friends and emergency services staff for their attempts to rescue their six children. |
| The detective then described how Philpott fell to the floor in the corridor following the press conference and was laid in the recovery position. "After 10 seconds he opened his eyes and got up," Chauhal said in her statement. | The detective then described how Philpott fell to the floor in the corridor following the press conference and was laid in the recovery position. "After 10 seconds he opened his eyes and got up," Chauhal said in her statement. |
| The case continues. | The case continues. |
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