The Philpotts charged...

[rowanwitch]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/...d-derbyshire-18261680

In court today... this could be a long drawn out case

[MissCommando]

Hmm, I don't get it. If they did start the fire, did they really want to kill their children? I wonder what the purpose was.

[mrs_overall]

I am speechless.
All this so they could try and obtain a larger house???

[MissCommando]

But surely they would have waited until their children were in school or had them close to an exit to get them out? I can't get my head around it.

[rowanwitch]

That is the main theory at the moment... Its just so sad...

[Kiki-frog]

This is such a bizarre and disturbing case. If it turns out that they did do this, then surely to God they must have thought that their children were staying somewhere else that night? And didn't Philpott try to rescue the children from the house? It's just so bewildering.

[daffy654]

Maybe some alcohol helped them to decide that setting fire to the house was a good idea.

[chi-chi66]

my thoughts exactly mrs.o....

probably did'nt think!! the fire would escalate as it did, wanted fire damaged
house, so could be re-housed.

[mrs_overall]

This is purely MY opinion.
The father is a publicity hungry type - he has been on TV (including the Jeremy Kyle show) several times before this incident. It is known that they were wanting to be given a larger house. I think they started the fire with the intention of destroying it so they could be re-homed AND rescue their children so that they would appear heroes.
It seems their planwent sadly wrong

[DTCwordfan]

Agree with the above, a daft idea that went badly and tragically wrong - for whatever reason.

Someone wrote here a few days ago that this wasn't the first time that such a ploy is used by folk to try and upgrade their council property, most trying being on the lower end of the intelligence measures.......

If they are guilty, then they have to live with what they managed to achieve and long may they rot at HM's pleasure.

[DTCwordfan]

Philpott went into rescue them when it dawned on him that some of his copious offspring were actually in there.......

[Kiki-frog]

If these theories turn out to be truth, then the Philpotts surely have ahead of them the worst life sentence possible - the knowledge that their greed killed their children.

[EvianBaby]

With that many children you would be forgiven for thinking one or two of them were out but you would know at least some of them were in there. Some of them were just tots FGS.

I'll reserve saying what I really want to say until (and if) they are found guilty.

[bundleone]

I can't believe they did this, I thought the children seemed cared for, it couldn't possiby have been deliberate.

[daffy654]

Bundleone, you can't accidentally pour petrol through a letterbox. Of course it was deliberate (whoever did it), I don't think they intended the children to get trapped and die though.

[Brenden]

Lots of people do not realise how fast petrol travels and is quite unstopable -

[Brenden]

Petrol flames -

[VHG]

There are also petrol fumes that float around petrol but cannt easily be seen.

These fumes can ignite very easily and spread a fire.

Until the case comes to court we are all guessing as it may be one of them or another, or they may have got a "friend" to start the fire.

Of course as this is an ongoing court case we have to be careful what we say, in fact I would not surprised if this topic was pulled.

[rowanwitch]

I think if we do not directly apportion blame prior to any verdict...however it may turn out...but it is worthy of comment in view of the publicity seeking history... My feeling is it may turn out to be a terrible miscalculation on whoevers part with such a tragic outcome

[Maggoty]

I think if they had started the fire when ALL of their children were out of the house then they would definately have looked guilty. I agree with some of the comments above.

IF they did start it deliberately they would have thought that having the kids in there would deflect blame away from them. And yes - being the hero wouldn't harm his celebrity status.

But the above is relevant if they are actually innocent.

Get the feeling they are going to be the new McCanns of the news world fir the next few weeks.

[anneasquith]

i really hoped these parents would be released, and found to have no involvement in this dreadful tragedy, but as stated , being charged and found guilty or two different things. my own opinion is that the local community and relatives of the philpotts may have vital evidence.