Woman who knifed paedophile to death set to be freed within monthsToday Judge Nicholas Cooke QC sentenced her to three years and six months which would leave her eligible for release on an electronic tag within months.
Sands has been in custody since giving herself up shortly after the killing in November last year.
The judge stressed his sentence should not be seen “as giving the slightest encouragement to mob rule” and emphasised the “exceptional nature of this case.”
The single parent, described as a good mother, had shown kindness to Pleasted when he had moved into the area not realising that he was a convicted paedophile.
Under a previous name of Robin Moult, Pleasted had 24 previous convictions for sexual offences.
They included indecent assault on males both over and under 16, indecent assault on a male under 14 and a further sexual offence.
His criminal behaviour dated back to 1970 and served prison sentences ranging from nine months and six years.
But when he was arrested and charged with new offences against local children under the age of 13 he was released on bail by a district judge at Thames Magistrates Court.
Sands had been forced to move out of the area and live in what the judge described as “more suitable to the novels of Charles Dickens and Elizabeth Gaskell.”
The Old Bailey heard that Sands armed herself with a knife to visit Pleastead to persuade him to plead guilty and spare the young victims the ordeal of giving evidence in court.
When he smirked back at her and blamed them for causing his downfall she lost control.
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/woman-who-knifed-paedophile-to-death-set-to-be-freed-within-months-a2958191.htmlOur Justices are rarely blind. Thankfully.
