Killed after refusing to admit abuse
A mother who stabbed a convicted paedophile to death after discovering he had sexually abused her three sons has revealed her one lasting regret. Sarah Sands, from Silvertown in East London, knifed 77-year-old Michael Pleasted eight times in 2014 after he refused to admit to the abuse and was bailed ahead of his trial.
Pleasted, who had changed his name from Robin Moult to conceal a past riddled with child sex offences, had befriended Sands and her boys after they moved to the area. Posing as a grandfatherly figure, he had been welcomed into the family’s life. But when her sons – Bradley, 12, and 11-year-old twins Alfie and Reece – revealed that they had been molested by him, Sands called the police.
Despite being charged, Pleasted was granted bail and returned to his flat, which was just a stone’s throw from the family home. Sands, having consumed alcohol, confronted him with a 30cm kitchen knife and killed him in what the court described as a “determined and sustained attack”.
Manslaughter conviction and prison sentence
Sands was convicted of manslaughter rather than murder after the jury accepted she had lost control. She was initially jailed for three-and-a-half years, later increased to seven-and-a-half. She served almost four years behind bars before her release.
In a recent interview, she was asked whether she had any regrets. Holding back tears, she replied: “Only one – letting him anywhere near us. That’s all.” She then paused, visibly shaken, and added that this still haunts her to this day.
Struggling with PTSD and depression
Now free, Sands says she continues to live with severe depression, anxiety, and PTSD. She described how every day remains a battle and revealed that yoga, meditation and exercise are her lifelines. She also said she has finally forgiven herself for the killing, though it took years.
“I forgave me,” she said. “That was actually just quite recent. So still quite new.”
Monster’s dark past revealed
Pleasted had 24 previous convictions for child sex offences. Neighbours had no idea of his true identity or his criminal history. Sands has since called for a change in the law to stop paedophiles from changing their names to hide past crimes.
