Father of hotel death children in court

AN ALLEGED paedophile whose wife is accused of murdering their two children in a Spanish hotel has denied a string of sex offences.

Martin Smith, 45, pleaded not guilty to three charges of rape, three of attempted rape, four of indecent assault and one of indecency with a child.

The charges relate to offences allegedly committed between May 1995 and April 2004 against one child.

Smith, who wore jeans and a blue fleece top, spoke only to enter his not-guilty pleas at the Carlisle Crown Court hearing.

His daughter Rebecca, five, and son Daniel, 11 months, died in the Hotel Miramar in Lloret de Mar on 18 May. Their mother, Lianne Smith, 43, is being held by Spanish police on suspicion of murder. She has appeared in court and admitted asphyxiating her children with a plastic bag.

Her husband was arrested in Spain on 7 May after the family left the UK in 2007 following his initial arrest over child sex allegations. He allegedly jumped bail. He was remanded in custody yesterday and is due to stand trial at Manchester Crown Court on 1 November.