A murderer of six children has been ‘attacked in prison’ leaving him left ‘battered and bruised’ in a brutal jail beating.
Mick Philpott, who was convicted of the deaths of his six children after a horror fire in Derby in 2012, was ambushed by another prisoner from behind with a metal container.
The 68-year-old was reportedly left with bruises and lumps on his head after the inmate battered him at HMP Wakefield, West Yorkshire.
A source told the Sun said: ‘Philpott was in a bad way after the attack – battered and bruised and with two large and noticeable lumps on the back of his head.
‘The other lad pounced on him and whacked him quite a few times from behind.
They continue: ‘Philpott was feeling very sorry for himself after the attack – but no-one had much sympathy. That is reserved for the children he killed.’
They added that he was treated at the prison rather than being taken to hospital.
In May 2012 Philpott set fire to his house with six of his children still inside. After campaigning for years, it was an extreme plot that he invented to get a larger house from the council.
Five of his children – Jade, 10, John, nine, Jack, seven, Jesse, six, and Jayden, five – died at the scene while 13-year-old Duwayne died in hospital two days later. All died of smoke inhalation.
Mick Philpott, who was convicted of the deaths of his six children after a horror fire in Derby in 2012, was ambushed by another prisoner from behind with a metal container
The six Philpott children, pictured clockwise from top left, John, nine, Duwayne, 13, Jade, 10, Jayden, five, Jesse, six, and Jack, seven, all died from the effects of smoke inhalation after fire swept through their home
Philpott set the fire with wife Mairead, who also denies starting the blaze despite being convicted and jailed for the crime, in the hope of getting a bigger home.
Philpott even appeared on the Jeremy Kyle show where he defended getting both his wife and mistress pregnant at the same time.
In another brush with public notoriety, Philpott participated in a TV documentary about benefit claimants, where he was seen to become volatile while questioned by former MP Ann Widdecombe in 2008.
His lifestyle continued until his relationship with Willis broke down and she moved out of the family home with their five children.
This triggered him to devise a plan to win back custody while also securing a larger property for his sizeable brood.
Together with his wife and Paul Mosley, a family friend who it was revealed in court was having a sexual relationship with Mairead, Philpott plotted to set fire to their home and frame Willis for arson on May 11, 2012.
His intention was to rescue the sleeping children still living with him through an upstairs window, but the plan went disastrously wrong after too much petrol was used and the fire burned out of control.
Philpott set the fire with wife Mairead (left), who also denies starting the blaze despite being convicted and jailed for the crime, in the hope of getting a bigger home
Hundreds of tributes were left outside the house in the wake of the horrific blaze
Mick Philpott’s accomplice Paul Mosley was released from prison in November 2023
The family home where the horrific blaze claimed six lives was demolished in September 2013
The blaze tragically claimed the lives of Duwayne, 13, Jade, 10, John, nine, Jack, eight, Jesse, six and Jayden, five.
Philpott, who had previously been jailed for stabbing his schoolgirl lover 27 times, wove a web of lies trying to get away with the crime and even plotted to ‘get rich quick’ off generous donations from the local community meant to pay for the funerals of his children.
In the days that followed the fire, Philpott began his elaborate ruse to appear blameless and even appeared at a press conference appealing for information.
He and Mairead shed tears for the cameras as they spoke about their children.
During a fortnight of surveillance at the hotel where they were put up by police in May after the fire, the couple were heard whispering about the case, with Philpott recorded telling his wife to ‘stick to your story’.
They were charged by police on May 30 in connection with the deaths and Mosley was arrested in the months afterwards, having told a friend the plan had been for him to rescue the children.
Police initially charged the trio with murder, but downgraded this to manslaughter because the defendants had not intended to kill the six youngsters, despite their sickeningly reckless actions.
Mairead was sentenced to 17 years in jail and served just half of that before her release in November 2020.
When she was photographed in March 2021. the then 39-year-old was sporting a darker hair colour and a tattoo to her son Jayden, who she called ‘miracle baby’ during her trial because he was born six weeks premature.
At the time, friends said she was ‘very much hoping for a fresh start’ and was set to have a new identity.
