Jury chosen in trial of parents accused of killing children

A JURY of 12 will be chosen today to try the parents and a family friend accused of killing six children in a Derby house fire.

A panel of 18 potential jurors will be whittled down to a dozen at Nottingham Crown Court.

All 18 have been told that the trial of Mick and Mairead Philpott and Paul Mosley will last "at least six weeks".

Philpott, 56, and his wife, 31, have pleaded not guilty to six counts of the manslaughter of their six children.

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It is alleged that they were responsible for the deaths of Duwayne Philpott, 13, his 10-year-old sister Jade and brothers John, nine, Jack, eight, Jesse, six, and Jayden, five.

The children died from the effects of smoke inhalation after a fire ravaged their home in Victory Road, Allenton, on May 11 last year.

Family friend Paul Mosley, 45, of Cecil Street, Derby, also denies six charges of manslaughter.

In court yesterday, , on the first day of the trio's trial, a list of the names of 103 potential witnesses was read out.

These include police officers, the defendants themselves and neighbours of the Philpotts from Victory Road.

The Philpotts were arrested on May 29, while Mosley was not arrested and charged until November 1.