Mick Philpott

Mick Philpott's attitude to women has been described as "controlling", "domineering", "violent" and "manipulative".[6][7][8] In July 1978, aged 21, Philpott attempted to murder Kim Hill, his girlfriend of two years; their relationship began when she was aged 15. He had previously shot Hill in the groin with a crossbow because he felt her dress had been too short, and had cracked her kneecap with a hammer when she paid too much attention to a baby she had been minding. Philpott attempted to kill Hill by stabbing her over a dozen times as she was lying in bed, because she sent him a letter saying she was leaving him.[9] He also stabbed Hill's mother when she came to her daughter's aid. Hill suffered collapsed lungs and a punctured bladder, kidney and liver. Philpott was convicted of attempted murder of Hill, and grievous bodily harm with intent against her mother,[10] and was sentenced to seven years in prison in December 1978.[11] Philpott was released after three years and two months.[12]

Philpott married Pamela Lomax in 1986.[13] He had three children with Lomax, two sons and a daughter. Lomax said that Philpott was controlling, and she prayed he would move on to someone else. Her wish was fulfilled when Philpott met Heather Kehoe, then aged 14, in Rainworth, Nottinghamshire; Philpott was 37. On her 16th birthday, Kehoe ran away from her parents to live with Philpott. She gave birth to two children, both boys, in quick succession, but Philpott beat Kehoe because he wanted a daughter. Kehoe described Philpott teaching his older sons to be violent towards her. Philpott wanted Kehoe to produce more children, but she did not conceive again. In 1991, he was given a two-year conditional discharge for assault occasioning actual bodily harm after headbutting a colleague.[10]

In 2000, Philpott met Mairead Duffy, a 19-year-old single mother born in England to an Irish family, who had left a previous volatile relationship.[14] Duffy moved into Philpott's house shortly after, and the couple married in May 2003.[15] In 2001, Philpott met Lisa Willis, a 16-year-old orphan and single mother, who became his mistress.[16][17][18] Philpott invited Willis to move into his council house, which was larger than hers; in 2002. Willis served as bridesmaid at Philpott and Duffy's wedding. On 23 December 2002, having left Philpott, Kehoe gained legal custody of her two children. In 2010, Philpott was given a police caution for slapping Mairead and dragging her outside by her hair.[19][20]

In 2006, Philpott was being heavily criticised in the tabloid media when he requested a larger council house for his family, which then consisted of his wife Mairead, then aged 25; his mistress Lisa Willis, then 22; and four children born to Mairead, three to Willis, and Willis's child conceived prior to meeting him. The 1978 conviction for attempted murder was revealed at this time.[21] After Willis gave birth to her fourth child by Philpott, the press revealed that both she and Mairead were expecting babies, due in March 2007. Before their birth, Philpott appeared on The Jeremy Kyle Show to defend his lifestyle, saying that he would like to marry one woman and divorce the other, and added that he would have a vasectomy.[22]

In 2007 Philpott appeared in an episode of the ITV documentary series Ann Widdecombe Versus in which the then Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe spent a week with him and tried to persuade him to change his lifestyle. Nancy Banks-Smith in The Guardian reported that Widdecombe gave him "a large slice of her mind", but "decamped" rather than sleep in his caravan.[23] Widdecombe found Philpott three jobs, one of which was with a barrel-making firm, but he did not turn up for work on the first day and the job fell through.[22] In the documentary, Philpott was shown to be living in a caravan in his garden, in which his wife and mistress would alternate in spending nights with him. Widdecombe said that Philpott did not care about anyone and that he used the word "bitch" to refer to both his wife and his mistress. Widdecombe also said she noticed that none of his children sought affection from him.[24]

It was revealed during Philpott's manslaughter trial that Mairead became pregnant by another man whilst the couple were dogging, an activity in which they began to participate during 2011. Mairead had an abortion at Philpott's instruction.[25]

A court hearing a week before the fire concerned a road rage incident during November 2011 in which Philpott had punched another driver,[20] for which he had pleaded guilty to common assault,[19] but denied dangerous driving.[20] At the hearing, Philpott was bailed and was awaiting trial.[10][26]