Mick Philpott gets life for killing six children in house blaze Mairead and Mick Philpott weep at a press conference after the death of their six children in a house blaze. The couple have been found guilty of manslaughter. CHILD killer Mick Philpott has been sentenced to life in prison for starting the fire that killed his six children in a horrific revenge plot against his former lover. His wife Mairead, 32, has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for conspiring with her husband. Their friend Paul Mosley, 46, who joined the pair in sexual encounters and helped start the blaze in which the children perished, was also jailed for 17 years. The judge Mrs Justice Thirlwell told Philpott he had "no moral compass" and was a "disturbingly dangerous man' as she ordered him to serve a minimum of 15 years, the Mail Online reported. Family members in the public gallery applauded after the sentencing. One shouted: "Die, Mick, die." The house in Derby where the six Philpott children died in a blaze started by their parents, Mick and Mairead. Philpott smiled and made an obscene gesture as he was led away from the dock, the Mail said. Over the past eight weeks, Nottingham Crown Court has heard how the couple set fire to their house in Derby last May as part of a plan to frame Philpott's former live-in lover Lisa Willis. The husband and wife planned to blame Ms Willis for the house fire in a bid to win back custody of five children she took from the family home. But their plan went horribly wrong. Too much petrol was used to start the blaze and Philpott was unable to rescue his six children as the fire burned out of control and temperatures soared. The coffins bearing the bodies of the six children - Duwayne 13, Jade, 10, John, 9, Jack 8, Jesse, 6, and Jayden, 5 - are carried into St Mary's Church in Derby. Jade Philpott, 10, and brothers Duwayne, 13, John, nine, Jack, eight, Jesse, six and Jayden, five, all died from smoke inhalation in the blaze. Philpott was told he would serve a minimum of 15 years and his wife and Mosley at least eight-and-a half years over the deaths at the family home in Derby on May 11 last year. With 17 children in total by five different mothers, Philpott was already a nationally notorious figure, dubbed "Shameless Mick" by the press for his feckless lifestyle funded by hefty state welfare handouts. Prosecutors said the couple set their home ablaze in a bid to frame Philpott's 29-year-old former live-in girlfriend and claim custody of her five children - four of which he fathered. She had left the house three months earlier, taking her children and leaving just six youngsters for whom Philpott could claim welfare payments. Philpott was supposed to have rescued the sleeping children through a bedroom window - but the petrol-fuelled fire spread more quickly than planned and the window would not open. Justice Thirlwall said the plot was "a wicked and dangerous plan" and was "outside the comprehension of any right-thinking person." She said the children were subjected to a terrifying ordeal. Their terror was the price they were going to pay for your callous selfishness. In fact, they paid with their six young lives. She added: "Mercifully, the deaths were swift and, it would appear, without pain." She told Philpott that women were his "chattels," saying: "You barked orders and they would obey. You were the kingpin, No-one else mattered. The case has triggered a debate in Britain about welfare culture as the government this week brings in a major shake-up of the system, including capping the amount someone can claim at the national average wage. Senior investigating officer Detective Superintendent Kate Meynell said it was an "incredibly tragic" case. "Six innocent children died as a result of the actions of their parents, the very people who should have protected them against danger," she said. The Philpotts and Paul Mosley showed no regard for the safety of the children and, since the fire, have shown no remorse for their actions. They have lied throughout the investigation and court case. There were plenty of opportunities to admit their guilt but they never did and persisted with their denials.