Child Killer Paul Mosley who took the lives of six children has died

© Tom Blewitt – Predator Awareness

Paul Mosley, one of the three individuals convicted in the tragic 2012 Derby house fire that claimed the lives of six children, has died at the age of 58. His death was confirmed by both a family member and a relative of the victims.

Mosley, alongside Mick and Mairead Philpott, was found guilty of manslaughter following a seven-week trial at Nottingham Crown Court. The trio had conspired to set fire to the Philpotts’ home on Victory Road, Allenton, in a failed attempt to stage a heroic rescue. The blaze, however, led to one of the most devastating child fatalities in modern British criminal history.

The victims—Duwayne Philpott, 13; Jade, 10; John, 9; Jack, 8; Jessie, 6; and Jayden, 5—were all asleep upstairs when the fire was ignited at the foot of the stairs. Despite desperate efforts by neighbours and emergency services, five of the children died at the scene. Duwayne succumbed days later after his life support was withdrawn.

Justice Kate Thirlwell KC, in her 2013 sentencing remarks, held all three defendants accountable for the deliberate and deadly act. She described the plan as “wicked and dangerous,” placing primary blame on Mick Philpott, who orchestrated the fire with the assistance of his wife and Mosley, a close family friend.

Mosley’s role included removing petrol containers from the scene to mislead investigators. The court heard how he boasted about his arrest and revelled in the attention surrounding the case, despite having children of his own.

Philpott, now 69, remains imprisoned for life. Mairead Philpott, now 44, was released in 2020 under a new identity. Mosley was released partway through his 17-year sentence in 2021, recalled shortly after, and released again in November 2023.

His death closes a grim chapter in a case that continues to haunt Derby and the wider UK.

Follow us on:

Read our latest articles:

Tom Blewitt

Leave a comment