Derby fire.

C

Colin Phillips

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Strange case, find it difficult to believe that parents can deliberately set fire to their house with their six children inside.

Father reported to have tried to rescue the children.

I hope it's not a case of lazy policing.
 
A family in a street where I used to live were demanding to be rehoused , house was 3 bedroom, the couple had 6 children and one on the way, as well as various pets. The front garden was full of a broken down van, mattress, tyres etc and one night these were set on fire. The house wasn't badly damaged as the fire brigade arrived quickly but the family wanted to move. The SS told them it was only smoke damage and it was habitable. There had already been several complaints by neighbours about their behaviour and state of the house etc, so the private landlord evicted them. The council had to rehouse them. No one could prove who started the fire but the local community beat officer told one of the neighbours that they were convinced the father had one it on purpose to be rehoused.
I am not saying that is what has happened here and they may be innocent, but it was an awful risk to take which went horribly wrong, if it was either of them.
 
I'm not sure Colin; it comes as a shock to most people just how quickly fire spreads. G-Gs is about the only plausible theory I've read, although I'm not sure its worth looking for plausibles in such a bizarre and tragic event.
 
My Dad lives in Derby and the father/family is very well known around the city..been in evening telegraph quite a bit..G-G not far off imo

like Gareth says..people have little idea how quickly fire can spread..i hope its not this... but re housing looks the angle they may be working from
 
The kids were in the house of the family I memtioned, plus four dogs, two cats, and a pregant mum.
They were re housed by the council in a brand new 5 bedroom house.
What I can't understand is how they could participate in a press conference if they are quilty?
 
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What I can't understand is how they could participate in a press conference if they are quilty?
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There are several examples of that. Do you remember Soham? There are others, but I can't think of them right now.
 
I particularly remember the 'road rage' incident where the girlfriend was at the press conference and it turned out to be her who had killed her boyfriend. Tracy something?
The body language people all said after the fact that it was obvious she was guilty.
I would think if you were guilty and trying to hide it would be better to 'lie low'?
 
No mention of where the father was when the fire started; was he in his caravan with 'the girlfriend'? If the fire was started in an attempt to get better housing then would it be classed as manslaughter rather than murder? Am very curious about the whole thing as I don't live all that far away but have to say I'd never heard of him or his family before. Very little news about it now; I'm assuming they have to be careful as the defence could argue that they'd had unfair publicity and the jury would be biased?
 
moehat said:
If the fire was started in an attempt to get better housing then would it be classed as manslaughter rather than murder?
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In a nutshell, yes. There has to be intent to either kill or cause serious injury to prove murder.
 
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moehat said:
No mention of where the father was when the fire started; was he in his caravan with 'the girlfriend'? If the fire was started in an attempt to get better housing then would it be classed as manslaughter rather than murder? Am very curious about the whole thing as I don't live all that far away but have to say I'd never heard of him or his family before. Very little news about it now; I'm assuming they have to be careful as the defence could argue that they'd had unfair publicity and the jury would be biased?
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The father wasn't in the house at the time, his wife was in the caravan. This is what looks dodgy to me, the fact that he appears when the house is on fire, in the middle of the night and is one of the first on the scene....coincidence??
 
Fact is we don't know the facts.
I'm not sure that speculating as to what might have happened and for what reason serves any purpose.
It's bloody tragic and I shudder when I think on it. Best wait till the facts become available
 
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