A
mother jailed for 17 years for killing her six children in a house fire has
today lost a second bid to challenge the length of her sentence.
Mairead Philpott, 32, was jailed alongside her husband Mick
at Nottingham Crown Court in April after being found guilty of the manslaughter
of Jade Philpott and her brothers John, Jack, Jesse, Jayden and Duwayne.
There was applause from the public gallery as Court of
Appeal judges sitting at Nottingham Crown Court dismissed a renewed application
by Mairead Philpott to challenge her jail term.
Mick Philpott was jailed for life with a minimum term of 15
years after being branded a 'disturbingly dangerous' man.
His wife, who is likely to be released after serving half of
her 17-year term, took part in a plan to set fire to the couple's home in
Victory Road in an effort to frame his former mistress.
The children were aged between five and 13.
Members of Mairead's family including her mother Vera,
father Jimmy and sisters Bernadette and Jennifer, were in the public gallery
for today's hearing.
Mairead Philpott was not in court.
Setting out Mairead's grounds of appeal, her barrister Shaun
Smith QC said: 'The essence is the utter dependence of Mairead Philpott on Mick
Philpott, whilst not excusing culpability, legally or morally, was not given
sufficient weight in assessing the length of her sentence.'
He said Mairead was 'particularly vulnerable' to a man like
Philpott who specialised in taking advantage of young girls with no family
support or self esteem.
Mr Smith said Mairead, who had been a loving mother, would
forever be known as a child killer and that her sentence would be 'a lifetime
reminder of her inability to stand up to a disturbingly dangerous man'.
The court heard co-accused Paul Mosley had abandoned an
appeal of the length of his sentence.
Dismissing the appeal today, The Lord Chief Justice of
England and Wales, sitting with His Justice Flaux and Justice MacDuff said
there was 'no doubt' Mairead Philpott had loved her children but that as their
mother she had a responsibility to them.
Lord Thomas dismissed Mr Smith's claims that she could not
stand up for herself against her husband.
'This
was not a spur of the moment plan. The risks of pouring petrol inside a
building must have been obvious. She participated in the setting of the fire as
petrol was found on her clothes.
'Her conduct after arrest was one where she continued to
maintain the lie that others were responsible. It may be that she was under the
continuing domination of Michael Philpott.'
He continued: 'It is extremely difficult to understand that
during that custody time and the lengthy trial she did not admit the truth,
expose the lie and own up to abusing her responsibilities.
'She was capable
of standing up. She could make a choice. She had a responsibility that was not
overborne by the will of Michael Philpott.'
The
decision comes after she lost the first round of a bid to challenge the length
of her sentence in July.
The hearing was the first to be held outside London since
legislation was passed to allow Court of Appeal hearings to be broadcast.
Philpott's father Jimmy Duffy said outside court that he
believed his daughter should have been given a life sentence.
He also told reporters his daughter had ignored his last
letter and 'has nothing to do with us'.
Mr Duffy said: 'There is love there because she is my flesh
and blood, but I'll never forgive her for what she's done.'
He added: 'At the beginning I said that the whole trio
should've got a life sentence
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