A devoted mum who rescued her son from the clutches of her brutal husband has been jailed for two years.

Lorraine Somers, 42, fled to England to shield her seven-year-old son from her Flemish husband Marc.

She and Vincent started a new life in Hebburn, South Tyneside.

Their relief turned to heartache after a Belgian judge ruled Vincent must go and live with his father - despite his violent past. And now her life has been destroyed after she was jailed for kidnapping.

Marc Francois Justine Somers has a string of convictions, including wilful assault and battery, aggravated theft and indecent exposure. Lorraine sobbed: "How can the courts place him in the hands of his father knowing his criminal past - it's madness."

Lorraine moved to Belgium with her former husband and their four children in the 1980s.

When they spilt up she stayed there, and found new love with Marc, 42, a factory supervisor, and the pair were married in October 1993 and set up home in Hulsharut, Belgium.

They had Vincent in June 1995 - but shortly after, Lorraine says the relationship turned sour when Marc became violent.

Lorraine left the family home in March last year and returned to England - but soon found herself embroiled in a bitter custody battle for her son.

Last November a Belgian court awarded custody to his father.

And last week her grief was compounded when she was given a two-year- jail sentence by the Belgian court after being charged with kidnapping.

Lorraine has been given just weeks to raise £1,000 to launch an appeal or has been told she will have to serve four months of the sentence beginning in September.