MURDERER: Lianne Smith

Sentenced to 30 years for murdering her two kids out of fear they would be taken away because of her boyfriend's paedophilia charges.

Lianne Smith had become fearfully obsessed with the thought her two youngest children, Daniel (11 months) and Rebecca (5 years), would be taken from her custody by social services. Her fear stemmed from her partner's police questioning in 2007 in regard to sexual abuse allegations made by her oldest daughter from another relationship.

Right after the questioning, Lianne and her partner, Martin Smith, took Rebecca and fled to Barcelona. For the next few years, British police were unable to track down Martin for arrest that was until May 2010.

Martin was deported back to the UK for trial, getting sentenced to 16 years in jail for 11 counts of rape, attempted rape, indecency with a child and indecent assault.

Sarah, Lianne's biological daughter, waved her anonymity to share her story of abuse. It all began in May 1995 when she was 7. She said that Martin used violence and "hypnotism" to abuse her, even going as far as turning Lianne into a stranger. 

When Sarah was 10, Martin began using "hypnosis" to try and put her into a trance before he assaulted her.

"He'd say to me 'you are getting sleepier and sleepier' and I'd pretend to go along with it because he was going to do whatever he wanted to me anyway. - Afterwards, he would count me back out of the trance and say something like 'you've had a dream' or 'you've been somewhere nice and warm'."

After Martin's arrest, Lianne took Rebecca and Daniel to the Costa Brava resort of Lloret de Mar, she wanted to give them the "perfect holiday" before she murdered them.

On the third day of the trip, May 17th 2010, Lianee used a plastic bag to smother both children whilst they slept. After killing them both, Lianne cuddled with their bodies, writing various notes about what she had done.

One of those notes was directed at her victims. "I love you very much. I wanted to give you a lovely life together. I’m very sorry."

Lianne then attempted to commit suicide.

The following morning she went to reception and told them to call the police, not giving any further details. When first responders arrived, Lianne confessed to what she had done. The video of her saying "I have ended the lives of my two children. I gave the children a three-day holiday, a perfect holiday. I knew they were going to take my children to England." is described as chillingly cold.

While Lianne was awaiting trial, Martin committed suicide in his prison cell in January 2012.

On July 12th of the same year, Lianne was found guilty by a jury for the murders of Rebecca and Daniel Smith. She was sentenced to thirty years, two consecutive 15-year sentences, one for each life stolen.

"Daniel was less than a year old. He was a baby and therefore, by his very nature, was totally defencelss. - The daughter, Rebecca, was almost six years old which also made her totally incapable of defending herself in the face of a murderous act carried out by her mother." Judge Adolfo Garcia Morales spoke at the end of Lianne Smith's trial, perfectly encapsulating how unnecessary the level of brutality against the two young, defenceless children was.