It's manslaughter
so I doubt it'll even be double figures.

No doubt the Fail and the Sun will then have a coronary about how britain is a soft touch to evil child killers.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Wed 3 Apr 2013, 10:15, 4 replies, latest was 12 years ago)

The justice system may say its manslaughter
But I hold the opinion (and bear in mind it is only my own and I don't wish to force my opinion on others or change their own opinion) that if you set fire to your house when your kids are inside, its murder.
( Peej, Wed 3 Apr 2013, 10:17, Reply)

I do genuinely see your point.
but the law has to make allowance for how terminally stupid some people are.

terminally being a sadly apt word here.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Wed 3 Apr 2013, 10:23, Reply)

It's murder if it's intentional killing.
He didn't intentionally kill them, therefore it's not murder.

He was setting fire to the house in order to win back custody of his children. Setting fire to his children would not have been a very effective way of accomplishing this.
( Kroney, Wed 3 Apr 2013, 10:25, Reply)

yeah, I think what PJ is saying
is that there's a grey area whereby you do something that is deliberate and almost totally certain to kill someone but you argue it wasn't your intention to kill them.

Legally it's going to be manslaughter as long as everyone believes it wasn't your intention to kill them. But even someone with the IQ of a red setter can see that setting fire to a house full of sleeping children is really likely to kill someone. So essentially they've escaped a murder charge because the CPS felt that they were stupid enough that a jury would give them the benefit of the doubt on that.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Wed 3 Apr 2013, 10:29, Reply)

Pretty much

( Peej, Wed 3 Apr 2013, 10:46, Reply)

Six counts of manslaughter though.

( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Wed 3 Apr 2013, 10:17, Reply)

yeah ... I don't really know how they are going to treat that, to be honest.
And as Kroney says below - the man is a pretty despicable human being but no-one, even the prosecution, is suggesting he intended to kill them.

If sentencing was based on how unpleasant you are and how much of a fucking idiot you were then, yeah, he'd get life. But it isn't so I've no idea really.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Wed 3 Apr 2013, 10:21, Reply)

The mails headline today is something special

(PsychoChomp, Wed 3 Apr 2013, 10:17, Reply)

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2303120/Mick-Philpott-vile-product-Welfare-UK-Derby-man-bred-17-babies-milk-benefits-GUILTY-killing-six.html
(PsychoChomp, Wed 3 Apr 2013, 10:19, Reply)

I love how they put all their rabid frothing in the url
meaning I don't even need to click on it.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Wed 3 Apr 2013, 10:22, Reply)

Well I'm convinced now.
We should probably cut benefits down to £25 a week, otherwise they'll all be murdering their kids.
( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Wed 3 Apr 2013, 10:27, Reply)

otherwise so that
( The Light in Chains don't touch the Pope's boner, Wed 3 Apr 2013, 11:11, Reply)

He wasn't a very pleasant man and he was trying to commit insurance fraud
but he did only kill five of his children accidentally. Despite him being a hardened crim, I pity him for that.
( Kroney, Wed 3 Apr 2013, 10:18, Reply)

wasn't?
has he killed himself too?
( rachelswipe with a fork, Wed 3 Apr 2013, 10:25, Reply)

I'm operating under the assumption that accidentally killing five of your own children
will effect a change in personality.
( Kroney, Wed 3 Apr 2013, 10:30, Reply)

it doesn't really seem to have done.

( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Wed 3 Apr 2013, 10:31, Reply)

Never trust a handlebar moustache.

( Kroney, Wed 3 Apr 2013, 10:34, Reply)

He also served time for stabbing an ex and her mum

( Peej, Wed 3 Apr 2013, 10:40, Reply)