A woman who stabbed a convicted paedophile to death at his flat in London has been found guilty of manslaughter.
Sarah Sands, 32, was cleared of murder but the jury at the Old Bailey found her guilty of manslaughter by reason of loss of control.
Sands attacked Michael Pleasted, 77, eight times at his flat in Canning Town after she found out he had allegedly abused three young boys.
Pleasted had been on bail awaiting trial on two charges of sexual assault against two children under the age of 13 when Sands attacked him, in what the court heard was a “determined and sustained attack”.
Following the stabbing, Sands handed herself into police and asked officers why Pleasted had been housed on her estate. She later said “he was asking for trouble”.
In court, it’s reported that Sands claimed she did not intend to hurt Pleasted when she went to his flat. Instead she said she wanted to confront him about the attacks he was going on trial for and to make him admit what he’d done so the children would not have to go to court.
However, Pleasted allegedly “smirked” at her and claimed the children were liars.
In court, Sands said: “I just had it [the knife] in my hand and I poked him with it in the front and that's when we both realised at the same time what had happened and he grabbed me.
“He was frightening me and I pushed him away and I left. That was it.”
Sands will be sentenced in September.