Mairead Philpott to appeal manslaughter conviction

A MOTHER jailed for 17 years for killing her six children in a house fire is to appeal against the length of her sentence, her lawyer has said.

Mairead Philpott ignored obvious risks to her childrens lives. Picture: PA

Mairead Philpott, 32, was jailed alongside her husband Mick at Nottingham Crown Court last month after being found guilty of the manslaughter of Jade Philpott and her brothers John, Jack, Jesse, Jayden and Duwayne.

At the sentencing hearing, Mrs Justice Thirlwall told Mairead Philpott she had ignored “obvious” risks to her children’s lives by going along with a plan to set fire to her home in Allenton, Derby.

Speaking yesterday, defence barrister Shaun Smith, QC, said of the 17-year jail term: “We think it was too long and we are going to see whether or not we can persuade the Court of ­Appeal to reduce the sentence.

“She was instrumental in killing six children, but we feel as though her role in the killing of the six children was not as ­substantial as the trial judge has assessed.

“We’ll have to wait and see what the Court of Appeal say. It may well be that the Court of Appeal give us short shrift.”