A mother of five in the UK has been handed a three and a half year prison sentence for stabbing a convicted paedophile to death.

Sarah Sands was cleared of murder but convicted of the manslaughter of her neighbour Michael Pleasted, by reason of loss of control, Sky News reports.

She was sentenced today by Judge Nicholas Cooke QC at the Old Bailey and wept as the verdict was read out.

The 77-year-old Pleasted was on bail ahead of a trial in which he faced allegations of sexually abusing three boys.

He had 24 previous convictions for sexual offences and had previously served sentences of nine months and six years for indecent assault and buggery.

The court heard that Sands called to Pleasted's home in east London on November 28 last year, to ask the man to admit his guilt in the upcoming trial and so spare the young boys having to testify in court.

Sands then carried out a "determined and sustained" attack on Pleasted, the court heard, leaving him dead in his hallway.

She turned herself into police shortly after the attack. She told police the victim was "asking for trouble".

The court heard Sands testify that she had not intended to attack the man but he had "smirked" at her and said the boys were lairs who had ruined his life. The visit left Sands "frightened" she said, and had the overall effect of causing Sands to lose control, the judge found.

Sands told the court: "It was not how it was meant to go."

The court did not find that she had taken the law into her own hands, but had rather lost control.

The judge said: "This was a case in which the defendant promptly gave herself up to the police in a highly stressed state, never disputed responsibility for the killing as a matter of fact, did not take the opportunity to get rid of evidence and demonstrated remorse."

With 10 months time in custody already served, Sands could be released from prison on parole in less than a year.