A Tochigi court on Wednesday sentenced a 30-year-old woman to 4 1/2 years in prison after she was found guilty of breaking the legs of four babies. The sentence was handed down at the Ashikaga branch of the Utsunomiya District Court.

The court heard that Yuko Saotome approached mothers in children's goods stores and other public places, asking to hold their children and then surreptitiously broke their legs, NTV reported. According to police, the incidents took place between April and May 2010.

The court said that Saotome could not be excused of her crimes on the grounds of temporary insanity. The judge went on to describe her actions as "despicable" and added that the crimes were motivated by jealousy at seeing happy mothers.

© Japan Today