Mairead (l) and Mick Philpott
Mairead (l) and Mick Philpott

A woman who is standing trial with two men on charges of starting a fire which killed her six children performed a sex act on one of the other defendants to help cover up the crime, a court has heard.

Mairead Philpott performed the act on co-accused Paul Mosley in a hotel room as her husband Mick Philpott - also on trial at Nottingham Crown Court - watched. The room was bugged by police, the jury was told.

The three are standing trial for the manslaughter of the children who died in their beds when a blaze ripped through their home in Derby in May 2012.

Duwayne, 13, Jade, 10, John, nine, Jack, seven, Jessie, six, and Jayden, five, all perished in the fire which prosecutors said was started by the Philpotts and got out of control.

The pair reportedly torched their own home because Mick Philpott wanted revenge on his ex-girlfriend, Lisa Willis, 28. She had ended their relationship, a move which reportedly angered him because it cost him £1,000 a month in lost benefits when she removed her five children from the property.

It was alleged that Willis left Philpott because of his "violent" behaviour."

The Philpotts were put up in a hotel room, which was being bugged by police. Mosley was invited to the room eight days after the deadly blaze.

Richard Langham QC said: "Covert recordings confirm there was sexual activity [in the room]. It was plain it had been discussed beforehand between the Philpotts.

"After it happened and Paul Mosley had left the room, Mick said to his wife: 'I'm proud of you because you did not want to do it.'"

Langham told the jury: "You may conclude they were doing their best to keep Paul Mosley on side.

"[Mosley] had a sexual relationship with Mairead which used to happen when Mick was present. It was with Mick's encouragement."

The lid was lifted in court on the Philpotts' alleged sexual behaviour. The jury was told that they enjoyed dogging - watching strangers get intimate in car parks.

Mick and Mairead Philpott and Mosley deny manslaughter. It is alleged that the Philpotts entered a joint enterprise with Mosley to get revenge on Willis.

Police bugged the couple in the hotel room for two weeks after the fire.

The jury heard Mick Philpott was covertly recorded saying to Mairead "stick to your story".