Mum stabbed paedophile to death after he abused her children

A mum has told how she stabbed a paedophile neighbour to death after discovering he had abused her sons, who now praise their mum as a hero.

A mum has told how she stabbed a paedophile neighbour to death after finding out he sexually abused her children.

UK woman Sarah Sands stabbed Michael Pleasted, 77, eight times in 2014 in a “determined and sustained attack” which saw him bleed to death, The Sun reports.

Pleasted was already a convicted paedophile and had changed his name from Robin Moult to conceal a long past of offending against children.

Ms Sands’ three children told her Pleasted, who lived across the road from the family in London, he had abused them – and she took matter into his own hands.

“For paedophiles, if you touch children, there has to be consequences,” Ms Sands told BBC Breakfast.

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The woman’s sons have praised her for her actions. Picture: BBC

“And hiding behind name changes … it has to be taken away from them. That right to change their name has to taken away from them.”

Now her brave boys, who have now waived their anonymity, have told how they thought their mum was a hero for killing their abuser.

Bradley, who was 11 at the time said: “I thought, ‘hats off’. I’m not going to deny it.”

Alfie added: “It did make us feel safer. It didn’t slow down the nightmares. But it did give us a sense of security because you didn’t have to walk down the street thinking he was going to come around the corner.

“He lived literally across the road from us. I could open that window over there and I’d see his house.”

CCTV Footage of Sands on her way to Michael Pleasted’s house. Picture: Handout

Pleasted’s council flat overlooked a playground and school in Canning Town, East London.

But nobody knew of Pleasted’s vile past because he had changed his name and his crimes predated the sex offenders register.

Ms Sands was convicted of manslaughter on the basis of loss of control after an Old Bailey trial in 2015, and eventually jailed for seven and a half years after having her sentenced increased by the Court of Appeal.

She said she originally intended to threaten Pleasted, who was on bail awaiting trial, to make him plead guilty so her children did not have to give evidence in court.

Labour MP Sarah Champion told the BBC some offenders are using name changes to avoid criminal records checks needed for jobs including working with children.

Sarah Sands stabbed Michael Pleasted, 77, eight times in 2014.

“Once they have changed their names, they are able to get a new driving licence and passport in that name. That enables them to get a new DBS (disclosure and barring service) check,” she said.

“And we are finding that these people are then going into schools and other places where there are children and vulnerable people and exploiting their positions of trust in the most horrific ways.”

The UK Home Office said it has already carried out a review of the issue and the UK already has strict rules in place to deal with sex offenders living in the community.

This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission

Originally published as Mum stabbed paedophile to death after he abused her children