How killer mum slept with bodies of her 2 children

LIANNE Smith spent a night in the same bed as her dead children before she confessed to their murders, it emerged yesterday.

Lianne Smith arriving at prison after her six hour court appearance Lianne Smith arriving at prison after her six-hour court appearance

The 43-year-old teacher also left a suicide note begging for forgiveness and had apparently tried to slash her wrists.

She told police she killed the children because she could not bear the thought of them being taken into care after their father Martin Smith was extradited to Britain on child sex charges.

Smith suffocated Rebecca, five, and 11-month-old Daniel on Monday night and lay next to their bodies for more than 12 hours before raising the alarm.

She has been on suicide watch since her arrest on Tuesday after telling police: “I want to join my children on the other side.”

She is said to be distraught that it was her actions which triggered her partner’s arrest in Spain.

Smith had contacted police while living at their flat in Barcelona to report a burglary. Officers then discovered Martin Smith was on a wanted list and facing child rape charges.

They arrested him on May 7 and the next day Smith took Rebecca and Daniel to Lloret de Mar and booked into the Miramar Hotel, where she killed them a week later.

After a six-hour court hearing yesterday, Smith was formally told she is suspected of murdering her children and was remanded to prison by investigating judge Rafael Fernandez Santiago in Blanes on the Costa Brava.

In line with Spanish law she has not yet been formally charged but if convicted faces 15 to 20 years in jail for each count of murder.

Mr Santiago said: “A statement was taken from the detainee Ms Smith in the presence of her lawyer, a translator and the state prosecutor. In that statement Ms Smith admitted killing her two children. The police investigating what had happened established that she began to suspect that social services could be following her with the aim of taking into custody her two children following the detention on a European arrest warrant of her husband Martin Anthony Smith.

“This made her abandon her home and move to the Hotel Miramar in Lloret de Mar where the fatal outcome unfolded.”

He added: “The detainee’s statement in the judicial headquarters ratifies the one she made earlier. She confesses to killing her two children.”

It also emerged yesterday that Smith refused offers of help from police after her partner’s arrest.

Martin Smith was on the run from police in the UK after he and Lianne left their Lichfield home in Staffordshire in 2007.

Staffordshire Police said: “As soon as we became aware of the arrest of Martin Smith we instigated a welfare check through authorities in Spain on Lianne and Rebecca. We were informed that they were safe and well.

“Lianne declined all offers of police help and support and stated her intention to remain in Spain – as was her legal right – and not return to the UK. At this point we also became aware of Rebecca’s younger brother.”

Yesterday the Spanish judge said Smith underwent a psychiatric evaluation and been ruled fit to stand trial. He said: “A forensic doctor examined Lianne Angela Smith after she was arrested in the presence of her lawyer and translator. She concluded Ms Smith was conscious, fully orientated, understood the situation she was in and determined the psycho-pathological examination was normal.

“Moreover Ms Smith spontaneously said she had killed her two children.” He added that Smith turned down an opportunity to see the youngsters’ bodies “because she had already said goodbye to her children” and that Smith had described in detail how she killed the children.

He said: “She acted alone. There are notes supposedly written by the suspect, found at the scene of the crime, in which she incriminates herself. The statement recognises that Mrs Smith ended her children’s lives by asphyxiating them, putting their heads in a plastic bag.”

More details of the couple’s life in Spain emerged yesterday. She advertised herself as “an experienced teacher”, inviting “families who want their children exposed to the English language” to attend her pre-school group.

She also ran an unlicensed B&B at their three-bed flat.

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