What to do about people like Philpotts?

[Russethouse]

But what proportion is it of those currently claiming child benefit ?

I know that there has been a programme recently about big families and so far only one has been on benefits and that is partly because one child needs care as they have aspergers

[YCCMB]

Given that a reasonable number of working families are no longer eligible for child benefit, it's obviously a higher proportion than it was six months ago....

[Gardener]

When people thought this was a straightforward arson case and Widdicombe was first in the queue to say that no one could call Mick Phillipot a bad father, the question of his benefits etc mattered not one jot.

Now he has been found guilty of arson and motivated out of his desire to try and frame an ex girlfriend.

He stabbed a girlfriend when he was in the army and working and killed kids when he was receiving benefits. The guy is a thoroughly nasty piece of work, full stop.

edited

[Chancer]

Be carefull of what you say, he might just end up getting legal aid to sue forums and/or individuals from his prison cell for calling him a murderer, I understand where you were coming from but he was convicted of manslaughter.

[Hoddy]

I thought legal aid had been cancelled for civil cases.

Hoddy

[JohnM]

My understanding of the law on defamation is that for libel to stand up, Philpott's reputation will have to have suffered. I'm not sure that "in the eyes of right thinking people" (the legal test) people will think any worse of him whichever word is used. I'm usually very careful about libel, but on this occasion, I don't think you could say anything about him that would damage his reputation!

[Hoddy]

To be absolutely fair he does have a conviction for attempted murder. Could he therefore be called a murderer anyway because he showed clear intent ?

Hoddy

[JohnM]

A ha... I tried to find this before I posted the last comment. This is from www.millstream.dsl.pipex.com/law/libelcheck.shtml :

----------------------

Libel is the publication of a statement which exposes a person to:

Hatred, ridicule or contempt or which causes him to be shunned or avoided

or which has a tendency to injure him in his office, trade or profession

in the estimation of right-thinking members of society generally.

-------------------

I don't think the level of hatred, ridicule or contempt will vary just because the conviction is manslaughter not murder.

Neither do I think using the wrong word will injure him at work (especially as he doesn't know what that last word means)

[Rabbie]

[quote user="Hoddy"]To be absolutely fair he does have a conviction for attempted murder. Could he therefore be called a murderer anyway because he showed clear intent ? Hoddy[/quote]To be absolutely accurate(pedantic) he can't be called a murderer  but he could be called a failed murderer on the strength of that conviction

[powerdesal]

You could just call him ''child killer'', that is absolute truth and makes no differentiation between murder and manslaughter.

[NickP]

The question was "What to do about people like Phillpotts?"

Everybody seems to put all the blame on him, now don't get excited as I'm not defending Mr Phillpott, indeed I've written in and asked that if they could reintroduce capital punishment for this crime, then I would do the job free of charge and supply my own baseball bat. That's by the by, no one seems to mention Mrs Phillpott, I feel that for a mother to even think of putting her children at risk makes her just as bad if not worse than him, and don't come back to me with she was forced to do it. She could have said no!   So thats sorted then I'd do two jobs for the price of one. [:@]

[Russethouse]

I suspect Mrs Philpott has limited IQ and I have heard so called 'experts' describe her as a victim. My guess is that she believed in Philpott completely and not for one moment doubted that he'd be able to get the children out.

Never the less like you I have very little sympathy for her.

[Hoddy]

I don't think that having a low IQ deprives you of emotions.

After the children had died and before they had been charged with murder, the Philpotts were given a £10,000 pound cash donation towards the children's funerals He bought two new suits and she had a new dress ready for the big party they were going to have afterwards. Hardly the act of grieving parents.

Like NickP I think she should share the blame equally.

Hoddy

[Rabbie]

While the eldest son was lying dieing in hospital with his aunts and grandmother sitting by his bedside, Mr and Mrs Philpotts were having a food fight in a nearby room. Hardly the action of heartbroken parents. As her sister said she should have put her children first.