Mum and daughter back home after custody battle

Jan 23 2007 By James Cartledge, Birmingham Mail

A MUM who faced jail over a transatlantic tug-of-love today opened her heart and declared: "It's great to be home".

Birmingham-born Samantha Deen could have been locked up for ten years in Canada after being accused of kidnapping her daughter, Jenny, from her Canadian ex-boyfriend, James Safronick.

But a judge in Vancouver granted her freedom and awarded her custody of Jenny. Now 39-year-old Samantha has returned home to start a new life and put her ordeal behind her.

"When I look back now, the whole thing seems like a bad dream," she said. "It's such a relief that it's all over and done with.

"Now I can focus on raising Jenny without worrying about a knock on the door. It's been a hell of a time and it's great to be home."

The Birmingham Mail exclusively revealed in May 2005 how Samantha, who was born in Birmingham but grew up in Canada, was facing extradition after fleeing back to Britain with Jenny in 2000.

She had earlier lost a court battle to stop Safronick seeing Jenny, despite claiming he was an alcoholic.

She was arrested when she returned to Canada and Jenny was placed in Safronick's care. But Samantha, who also has a grown-up son called Tyler, later won back custody of her daughter ahead of a final hearing, at which she was cleared of kidnap and granted permanent custody.

Safronick was granted annual access to his daughter, meaning Jenny must return to Canada every summer. But now the mum and daughter have settled in Erdington and Jenny, now aged 13, has returned to her former school, Kingsbury.

"The judge heard all the details of the case and decided I had been through seven years of hell with Safronick," Samantha said.

"He said I had full custody and wished me good luck. I was over-whelmed. My lawyer said I was free to go and I left the court and just cried. I want to go back to Canada eventually because my son is now over there.

"But I will go with Jenny when she returns to see her father. I would not be comfortable unless I knew she was alright."