A twisted plot to set fire to his home, before saving his children, emerging as a hero - before blaming it all on his former lover - proved to be the most sickening gamble Mick Philpott could ever conceive.
The reckless idea, undertaken on May 11, 2012, went horrifically wrong after the petrol-infused flames burned out of control and claimed the lives of six of his children.
Philpott and his accomplices Mairead, his wife, and family friend Paul Mosley, were all eventually charged and convicted of manslaughter for their 'evil' act.
As a new Channel 5 documentary, The Philpott Fire: A Very British Horror Story, re-examines the case, MailOnline looks at what happened and where the trio are today.
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Father-of-17 Mick Philpott had an unusual domestic set-up, sharinga cramped three-bedroom council house in Derby with his wife, Mairead, but also lover Lisa Willis and their children.
He was said to be sex-obsessed and boasted about his benefits-funded lifestyle, which police revealed brought him an income of £60,000 a year.
A new Channel 5 documentary, The Philpott Fire: A Very British Horror Story, re-examines how Mick Philpott,and his accomplices Mairead, his wife, and family friend Paul Mosley, set fire to their home in 2012, killing six of their children
Philpott pictured with his six children, who all tragically died in the fatal blaze in May 2012
Hundreds of tributes were left outside the house in the wake of the horrific blaze
Philpott even appeared on the Jeremy Kyle show where he defended getting both his wife and mistress pregnant at the same time.
In another brush with public notoriety, Philpott participated in a TV documentary about benefit claimants, where he was seen to become volatile while questioned byformer MP Ann Widdecombe in 2008.
His lifestyle continued until his relationship with Willis broke down and she moved out of the family home with their five children.
This triggered him to devise a plan to win back custody while also securing a larger property for his sizeable brood.
Together with his wife and Paul Mosley, a family friend who it was revealed in court was having a sexual relationship with Mairead, Philpott plotted to set fire to their home and frame Willis for arson on May 11, 2012.
His intention was to rescue the sleeping children still living with him through an upstairs window, but the plan went disastrously wrong after too much petrol was used and the fire burned out of control.
The blaze tragically claimed the lives of Duwayne, 13, Jade, 10, John, nine, Jack, eight, Jesse, six and Jayden, five.
Philpott, who had previously been jailed for stabbing his schoolgirl lover 27 times, wove a web of lies trying to get away with the crime and even plotted to 'get rich quick' off generous donations from the local community meant to pay for the funerals of his children.
In the days that followed the fire, Philpott began his elaborate ruse to appear blameless and even appeared at a press conference appealing for information.
He and Mairead shed tears for the cameras as they spoke about their children.
During a fortnight of surveillance at the hotel where they were put up by police in May after the fire, the couple were heard whispering about the case, with Philpott recorded telling his wife to 'stick to your story'.
They were charged by police on May 30 in connection with the deaths and Mosley was arrested in the months afterwards, having told a friend the plan had been for him to rescue the children.
Police initially charged the trio with murder, but downgraded this to manslaughter because the defendants had not intended to kill the six youngsters, despite their sickeningly reckless actions.
The judge described the plot as 'a wicked and dangerous plan' that was 'outside the comprehension of any right-thinking person'.
Philpott was sentenced to life and remains at HMP Wakefield, West Yorkshire
What happened to Mick Philpott?
Philpott was sentenced to life in prison for manslaughter and remains atHMP Wakefield, West Yorkshire.
He and Mairead agreed to a separation while behind bars and the pair divorced in 2014, not long after they were convicted.
After serving a minimum of 15 years, Philpott will be eligible for parole in 2028.
However, he will need to appear before the Parole Board, which will then assess whether he still poses a risk to the public.
Mairead was sentenced to 17 years in jail and served just half of that before her release in 2020
What happened to Mairead Philpott?
Mairead was sentenced to 17 years in jail and served just half of that before her release in November 2020.
When she was photographed in March 2021. the then 39-year-old was sporting a darker hair colour anda tattoo to her son Jayden, who she called 'miracle baby' during her trial because he was born six weeks premature.
At the time, friends said she was 'very much hoping for a fresh start' and was set to have a new identity.
Mairead was said to be 'delighted' at being given her earliest possible release date from HMP Send in Surrey.
At the time of her release, David Spencer at the Centre For Crime Prevention said: 'This is not justice.'
He added: 'It makes an absolute mockery of the UK's criminal justice system.
'She has served barely more than a year for each of the six innocent lives she callously took away.'
Mick Philpott's accomplice Paul Mosley was released from prison in November 2023
What happened to Paul Mosley?
Mick Philpott's accomplice Paul Mosley was sentenced to 17 years for manslaughter after the court found him guilty of helping to start the fatal fire.
He was released in May 2021 but was recalled to jail over concerns surrounding his behaviour.
Mosley was then released again in November 2023, with the Parole Board saying his 'imprisonment was no longer necessary for the protection of the public.'
Mosley - who it is understood will not be allowed to live in Derby again now he is released - still maintains his innocence today.
A family source said at the time: 'This is a disgraceful decision. Mosley has never admitted his guilt despite clearly being involved.
'He has killed six kids and is free to walk the streets. It's appalling. He's an evil monster. How can someone like that be let out?'
The board said Mosley's behaviour in jail had been 'largely without issue' and his release was subject to strict conditions.
These include living at a designated address, good behaviour and a limit on who he can contact.
Vera Duffy, the mother of Mairead Philpott, attacked the decision soon after his release saying: 'He should stay behind bars.'
Speaking further in November 2023, she said: 'Do I think he should be out? No – he should stay behind bars with Mick [Philpott] where he belongs.
'No one told me he would be coming out and certainly he shouldn't be allowed back in Derby – we should just let those little kids rest in peace.'
Ms Duffy added that she didn't know where her daughter Mairead was. 'I'm trying to put it all behind me.'
The family home where the horrific blaze claimed six lives was demolished in September 2013