A WOMAN from Newport has been sentenced to seven years in prison after she was found guilty of assaulting two schoolgirls with a candlestick and a hammer.

Aneliese Buchanan, 39, from Newport was convicted by a jury in April 2024 of using violence against two victims under the age of 18.

Today, on September 27, Buchanan was sentenced to seven years imprisonment for a series of violence which spanned over almost a decade.

Her victims cannot be named because of their ages.

Buchanan was found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm (GBH) and assault against one victim and assault against the second.

She was also found guilty of perverting the course of justice.

The GBH attack on the first girl left her in hospital with a gash on the top of her head after Buchanan hit her with a candlestick.

Witnesses described how at the time they saw "blood everywhere."

Judge Khan described to the court that her violence was triggered by "mundane and trivial matters", whereby Buchanan "lost all sense of control."

The second victim was assaulted after being strangled with clingfilm, struck with a hammer and stabbed with a screwdriver.

Buchanan, of Margaret Avenue, was also convicted of perverting the course of justice after she contacted the GBH victim and tried to persuade her to drop the charges.

The court heard that Buchanan was jailed in 2007 after she lied to the police that she had been sexually assaulted in a Newport nightclub.

Upon sentencing, Judge Khan addressed Buchanan: "It is clear to me that you lie. You lied to the jury and lied to the court."

"You continue to be in denial of all charges despite your multiple incidents of significant cruelty."

"Not only did you physically abuse these two girls, but also emotionally abused them."

Buchanan's defence asked Judge Khan to consider her disabilities, as Buchanan is registered as visually impaired.

However, the judge is confident that prison staff will be able to provide relevant support despite her disabilities.

"You being visually impaired did not stop you from offending. I am satisfied that the prison can manage your disabilities," said Judge Khan.

Aneliese Buchanan will serve no more than half of her seven year sentence, so three and a half years, before being released on parole.

She continues to maintain her innocence, claiming during her trial earlier this year that her victims' injuries were self-inflicted.