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19/05/2010
Tragic Holiday Childrens' Mum Was 'Missing'
The British woman being held by Spanish police who found her two young children dead in a room at a Costa Brava hotel was officially 'missing' - but suspected of being with her alleged paedophile husband.
The shock find came at the Hotel Miramar in Lloret de Mar (pictured) after their British mother contacted the hotel's reception desk to ask them to call police and an ambulance.
The woman Lianne Smith, 43, is now being held in Spain on suspicion of murdering Rebecca, five, and 11-month-old Daniel.
Police said there were no outward signs of violence but officers have not confirmed reports in Spanish newspapers that the children were suffocated.
It has since emerged that the woman is married to an alleged paedophile.
Martin Smith, 45, of North Shields - who was arrested near Barcelona this month - has since been extradited from Spain and has just faced multiple charges of sex offences against under-age children.
Mr Smith was told about the deaths of the children on Tuesday, and was then today remanded in custody to appear in Carlisle Crown Court on 7 June.
At Carlisle Magistrates Court on Wednesday, it was revealed that Mr Smith 'jumped bail' in 2008 while facing rape charges on a child under 16 and gross indecency charges.
It now appears that Mrs Smith and her daughter were reported missing from the Staffordshire area in December 2007.
Staffordshire Police said the mother and daughter had moved to Lichfield from Cumbria before going missing.
In a statement they said: "It is believed that they were with Martin Smith, who was under investigation at that time by Cumbria Police for serious sexual offences."
A post-mortem examination on the child victims is expected within the next few days.
(BMcC/GK)
The shock find came at the Hotel Miramar in Lloret de Mar (pictured) after their British mother contacted the hotel's reception desk to ask them to call police and an ambulance.
The woman Lianne Smith, 43, is now being held in Spain on suspicion of murdering Rebecca, five, and 11-month-old Daniel.
Police said there were no outward signs of violence but officers have not confirmed reports in Spanish newspapers that the children were suffocated.
It has since emerged that the woman is married to an alleged paedophile.
Martin Smith, 45, of North Shields - who was arrested near Barcelona this month - has since been extradited from Spain and has just faced multiple charges of sex offences against under-age children.
Mr Smith was told about the deaths of the children on Tuesday, and was then today remanded in custody to appear in Carlisle Crown Court on 7 June.
At Carlisle Magistrates Court on Wednesday, it was revealed that Mr Smith 'jumped bail' in 2008 while facing rape charges on a child under 16 and gross indecency charges.
It now appears that Mrs Smith and her daughter were reported missing from the Staffordshire area in December 2007.
Staffordshire Police said the mother and daughter had moved to Lichfield from Cumbria before going missing.
In a statement they said: "It is believed that they were with Martin Smith, who was under investigation at that time by Cumbria Police for serious sexual offences."
A post-mortem examination on the child victims is expected within the next few days.
(BMcC/GK)
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