Mother suffocated children then slept with bodies in hotel room, court hears Mr Pillado Quintas told the court: "Being fully aware of the minors' ages and that the element of surprise would prevent them defending themselves from attack, especially as they were sleeping, she took the boy in her arms, and with the intention of terminating his life...covered his head with a plastic bag. Immediately she took the five year old in her arms...covered her head with the same plastic bag. The children were "totally incapable of defending themselves," he added. Ms Smith, from Lichfield, Staffs, arrived at court in handcuffs, with a haunted look and wearing flip flops, white trousers, a patterned top and black jacket, flanked by armed police officers. The jury was told she arrived in Spain in December 2007 with daughter Rebecca and her partner Martin Smith, from North Shields, who was on the run, wanted in the UK on child sex charges. Son Daniel was born in Barcelona in July 2009, although the court heard it was not clear who either child's father was. Martin Smith was detained by Spanish police at their flat in Barcelona on a European arrest warrant on May 7 2010. Ms Smith took the two children to the seaside resort, checked into the £53-a-night hotel on 15 May, and killed them two days later. Prosecutor Mr Pillado Quintas today called for Ms Smith to be jailed for 38 years - 19 years for each count of murder He told the jury they must decide if Ms Smith knew she was killing her children and whether she knew it was wrong. He added: "The prosecution says she was not suffering from a mental illness." They must also decide if she was suffering from an "insurmountable fear" when she killed the children, he said. He asked them: "Would a person who is afraid of somebody hurting their children kill those children. Is this logical? Defence lawyer Jenifer Lahoz Abos said her client admitted killing the two children but called for her to be acquitted on mental health grounds. Ms Lahoz Abos said Lianne had had "an absolute emotional dependence on her partner Martin Smith." Ms Smith dabbed her eyes with a tissue as her lawyer described her descent into mental illness after her partner's arrest. She was suffering from severe "major depressive disorder and psychosis" and lost all contact with reality, the lawyer said. "She felt she was being watched, hounded and threatened, losing touch with reality and believing two people from English social services were following her, watching her, and they were going to come and take her children and hand them to other families for adoption, so she started to run," the lawyer said. Ms Smith panicked and believed her life and those of her children were under serious threat, the lawyer said. When she killed the two children she was "in a psychotic state" which made her incapable of understanding what she was doing, the lawyer said. After killing the children she tried repeatedly to kill herself but failed, it was said. Ms Lahoz Abos asked the jury of eight men and three women: "Is it possible that someone of sound mind could do such damage to the person they love most, to their own children?" Ms Smith's partner Martin Smith, a TV psychic, was jailed for 16 years at Manchester Crown Court in March 2011 after being convicted of abusing Lianne Smith's daughter from a previous relationship, Sarah Richardson. Mrs Richardson, a nurse, has previously waved her anonymity to describe in an interview how Martin Smith abused her for a decade, after attempting to put her in a hypnotic trance. Martin Smith, 46, convicted of 11 counts of rape, attempted rape, indecency with a child and indecent assault, hanged himself in his cell at HMP Manchester in January. Ms Smith's trial continues.