Featured Image Credit: BBC
Topics: News, BBC, No Article Matching
Shola Lee
In 2014, a British mum stabbed to death the paedophile accused of abusing her sons, and now they've spoken out.
Sarah Sands stabbed Michael Pleasted, a convicted paedophile, eight times in his flat in East London.
Watch the interview here:
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The man was facing charges of abusing young boys on the estate where Sarah and her sons lived.
Now, for the first time, the three boys have spoken to the BBC, explaining the abuse they suffered from the 77-year-old.
The family had moved into the flat in Silvertown a few months before the murder.
Sarah had become friends with Michael, she cooked for him, looked after him, always kept him company when she had the time.
So, she didn't think much of it when the elderly man asked her son Bradley to help him with sorting newspapers for the shop on the corner.
Her son was 'so excited' to have a job, little did Sarah know the paedophile was grooming her son.
It later came to light that Michael had used the job to gain access to Bradley (12) and his two brothers, Alfie and Reece (11).
He abused the young children and was arrested when they told their mum.
However, Michael was released on bail, and realising that the man wasn't remorseful, she went to his house armed with a knife.
"I didn't know what I was doing there. I realised I had made a huge mistake. He was not remorseful in any shape or form. He said 'your children are lying'. The whole world froze. I had the knife in my left hand and I remember he tried to grab it."
While Sarah says she didn't have the intention to kill Michael, the 77-year-old bled out.
Sarah turned herself in to the police, blood-soaked and unsure of what would happen next.
She was eventually convicted of manslaughter and spent three and a half years in prison.
Now, Sarah's sons have waived their right to anonymity, with Bradley, explaining: "I thought hats off. I'm not going to deny it."
He explained how the paedophile 'lived literally across the road' from the family and he could open a window and see the predator's house.
Alfie went on to add that while his mum's actions did make the boys 'feel safer' unfortunately 'it didn't slow down the nightmares'.
He said: "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."
Reece said that while it was 'nice knowing that he was dead' ultimately 'it didn't stop any afterthoughts, you know, we would often wake up crying [saying] 'where's mum?'."
The family has since been reunited and urges others to speak out about abuse.