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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
David Meikle

Child sex abuser screamed 'I'm no beast' and attacked guard in court after she was jailed

A woman who screamed 'I'm not a beast' as she was convicted of sexually abusing two children attacked a custody officer moments after she was jailed.

Samantha Smith, 31, from Rutherglen, Lanarkshire, repeatedly preyed on a boy aged five and a three-year-old girl.

She was jailed for three years for the sickening campaign of abuse which lasted until the boy was eight and the girl five.

But she lashed out at a custody officer and kicked her in the stomach before being restrained in the cells at Hamilton Sheriff Court last year.

She has now re-appeared at the same court and admitted the assault in November.

Smith, whose earliest release date is May 2021, was handed a five month sentence to run alongside her current jail term by Sheriff Douglas Brown.

Samantha Smith flashes a rude gesture towards a photographer outside court (Pressteam)

Depute fiscal Morag McLintock said: "The accused was not happy at being found guilty by the jury and caused problems in the court resulting in her being removed.

"She told the custody officer to go and f**k herself and kicked her on the stomach resulting in her falling to the ground and requiring others to assist.

"Thankfully the officer did not suffer any injuries after the accused's actions towards her."

Jim O'Dowd, defending, said: "She apologises for her behaviour and clearly it was out-of-order and she accepts that."

Sheriff Brown said: "I will impose five months imprisonment reduced from six."

Smith had denied abusing the youngsters, who cannot be named for legal reasons, between November 2009 and June 2014 at a house in East Kilbride, Lanarkshire.

Smith claimed to be 'elated' to be in court to clear her name at her original trial.

She told jurors: "The first I heard about this was when the police came to the house.

"I'm horrified to be accused of these things.

"I'm actually elated at the thought of being in court to clear my name over this."

She was forced to flee her home in Blantyre, Lanarkshire, after 40 people turned up outside to protest against her.

As Smith was led away to begin her jail sentence, she yelled "paedos should be hung not put in jail, I'm not a paedophile" before turning to relatives of the victims and shouting "what goes around comes around".

She was placed on the sex offenders' register indefinitely.

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