Mairead Philpott: Mother who killed her six children in house fire released from jail

‘How can that possibly be right?’, asks Derbyshire MP Pauline Latham

A mother who killed her six children in a house fire has been released from prison after serving half her 17-year sentence.

Mairead Philpott, now aged 39, was jailed in April 2013 after being found guilty of the manslaughter of her ten-year-old daughter Jade and her sons Duwayne, 13, John, nine, Jack, eight, Jesse, six, and Jayden, five.

Philpott planned the arson attack on the family home in Allenton, Derby, with her husband Mick Philpott, who is still serving a life sentence and will not be released until at least 2027.

It is understood Mairead Philpott was freed on Friday from HMP Send in Surrey to a hostel, where she will be supervised while on licence.

Her release was criticised by campaigners and the Conservative MP for Mid Derbyshire, Pauline Latham, who said she was seeking assurances that Philpott would not be returning to the area.

The MP said in a statement: "I am disgusted that this foul woman has her liberty while her daughter and five sons lie in their graves.

"Eight-and-a-half years in jail amounts to her serving less than 18 months for each of those poor children. How can that possibly be right?

"Those in charge of making these decisions need to think longer and harder about the victims and the value of their lives.

“In addition, this horrible crime is still very raw in Derby and I fear what would happen if she turned up in the city.”

The Centre for Crime Prevention described the release as "appalling" and called for killers to serve their full sentences for such crimes.

"The system of automatically releasing criminals like her half way through their sentence means that in cases like this justice is not being done," said research director David Spencer."

A trial at Nottingham Crown Court heard how Mick Philpott was the "driving force" behind the plot to start the house fire on 11 May 2012 in an attempt to frame a former partner. However their plan went  "tragically and disastrously wrong" as the flames spread quickly through the house, prosecutors said.

Five days after the blaze the Philpotts were pictured sobbing at a police news conference to appeal for help catching the killers.

The judge, Mrs Justice Thirlwall, told Mairead Philpott she had acted with "callous selfishness". She added: "These were your children; your first responsibility, surely, was to them. Instead you joined in with his plan."

Mairead Philpott appealed against her sentence in November 2013, but judges said petrol found on her clothes showed she had participated in setting the fire, which had not been a "spur-of-the-moment" plan.

It was reported in the Sun on Sunday that she will be offered counselling and life coaching and could be given a new identity at public expense.

The Ministry of Justice said it would not comment on an individual prisoner's release. A spokesperson said: "Offenders released on licence face strict conditions and can be returned to prison if they breach them."

Additional reporting by Press Association