THE furious mother of a sex abuse victim launched an attack on the paedophile responsible as he came out of court yesterday.

Christopher Lee, 40, of Abbey Road, Newport, was slapped around the face by the woman before she was restrained as stunned barristers and other people waiting outside the courts looked on.

A court official eventually broke up the fracas and Lee walked back towards the courtroom.

Police spoke to the families outside but no action was taken. The drama started outside court number three at Cardiff Crown Court after Lee’s sentencing for seven counts of indecent assault and one count of sexual assault on a child was adjourned.

He was sitting with a man and a woman on a bench when the family and friends of his victims left the court and spotted him.

The families, who had been emotional throughout the hearing began to shout at Lee, before one of the mothers leapt forward and slapped him across the face.

The woman with Lee reacted by striking the mother with one of her crutches before the man with Lee pinned her to the floor of the court atrium by the back of her neck.

Lee’s sentencing was adjourned for at least three weeks after Judge Daniel Williams said he was unhappy with the pre-sentence report and ordered another one to be prepared.

The judge apologised for the delay to both the families in the public gallery and Lee.

He bailed Lee on the condition that he was not to make contact with any of the children involved in the case and that he was to co-operate with the probation service.