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| Sarah Sands jailed for killing paedophile Michael Pleasted | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A woman has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison for killing a man charged with sexually assaulting young boys on the east London estate where they lived. | A woman has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison for killing a man charged with sexually assaulting young boys on the east London estate where they lived. |
| Sarah Sands, 32, was found guilty of the manslaughter of Michael Pleasted, 77, by reason of loss of control. | Sarah Sands, 32, was found guilty of the manslaughter of Michael Pleasted, 77, by reason of loss of control. |
| Pleasted, who had previous convictions, was on bail awaiting trial when he was killed at his flat in east London. | Pleasted, who had previous convictions, was on bail awaiting trial when he was killed at his flat in east London. |
| He was stabbed eight times and bled to death, the Old Bailey heard. | He was stabbed eight times and bled to death, the Old Bailey heard. |
| 'Sustained attack' | |
| Judge Nicholas Cooke QC said it was a "truly exceptional case" as he reduced her sentence from seven years to three-and-a-half, taking into consideration her position as a single mother. | |
| Sands, who was cleared of murder, had armed herself with a knife and carried out a "determined and sustained attack" on Pleasted at his flat in Canning Town, the court heard. | Sands, who was cleared of murder, had armed herself with a knife and carried out a "determined and sustained attack" on Pleasted at his flat in Canning Town, the court heard. |
| Pleasted, who also went by the name of Robin Moult, had 24 previous convictions for sexual offences spanning three decades. | Pleasted, who also went by the name of Robin Moult, had 24 previous convictions for sexual offences spanning three decades. |
| He served sentences of between nine months and six years for sex crimes that included indecent assaults on a boys aged under 16 and under 14. | He served sentences of between nine months and six years for sex crimes that included indecent assaults on a boys aged under 16 and under 14. |
| However, he was not on the sex offenders register as he committed his offences before it was introduced in 1997. | However, he was not on the sex offenders register as he committed his offences before it was introduced in 1997. |
| 'No mob rule' | |
| Sands, who has been in custody for the past 10 months, could be released on parole in 11 months. | |
| The judge emphasised the case was "unique" as Sands had lost control rather than taken the law into her own hands and engaged in "vigilante conduct". | |
| He said: "There must never be the slightest encouragement for mob rule." | |
| The judge added: "This was a case in which the defendant promptly gave herself up to the police in a highly stressed state, never disputed responsibility for the killing as a matter of fact, did not take the opportunity to get rid of evidence and demonstrated remorse." | |
| During the trial, Sands told the court she had not intended to hurt Pleasted when she went to his flat with a knife, claiming instead she wanted him to admit to his crimes so his young accusers would not have to go to court. | |
| Sands told the jury she was "frightened", adding: "It was not how it was meant to go. He was meant to listen to me". | |
| However she said Pleasted "smirked" when he answered the door and told her the boys were all liars who had ruined his life. | |
| During the trial, the judge said an inquiry was under way into the decision to bail Pleasted. |