A harrowing court case has heard how a nine-year-old girl collapsed and died in her mother's arms after being stabbed through the heart by a schizophrenic Lithuanian national. Lilia Valutyte was fatally injured by Deividas Skebas, 26, while she played with a hula hoop in the street in Boston town centre, Lincolnshire, on July 28, 2022.
Mother's Heartbreaking Account
The court heard part of a statement written by Lilia's mother, Lina Savickiene, who described finding her daughter 'covered in blood and with the hoop around her' after the stabbing. Prosecutor Christopher Donnellan KC said the mother initially thought 'something might have happened' with the hula hoop.
The statement, read by Mr Donnellan on Mrs Savickiene's behalf, continued: 'She was getting pale. She collapsed in my hands. I saw the wounds, started to cover them. I just got scared, started to shout for somebody to help me.'
Fatal Afternoon in Fountain Lane
The court heard that earlier in the day, Mrs Savickiene and Lilia went into town for lunch and shopping. She let her daughter play outside in Fountain Lane from around 5pm because the street was 'quiet'. Mr Donnellan said Lilia had been 'in and out' of the shop and the mother checked her 'quite often', before she heard her child call out for help.
An off-duty police officer nearby initially chased the defendant, the court heard, but after hearing 'noises of distress' he began to try to save Lilia's life. Mr Donnellan said Lilia was pronounced dead at about 7.11pm, within an hour of the attack.
Defendant's Mental Health Condition
Skebas, who moved back to the UK just weeks before Lilia died, denies murdering the girl but admits manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility. The court heard that experts agree Skebas is diagnosed with schizophrenia.
Skebas was arrested on July 30 but his mental health was 'declining' so he was transferred to hospital. It was determined that Skebas, formerly of Thorold Street in Boston, Lincolnshire, was not fit to be tried at the time.
Delusional Beliefs Revealed
Defence barrister Andrew Campbell-Tiech KC told the jury that the Lithuanian, who appeared via videolink from high security facility Rampton Hospital in Nottinghamshire, was 'quite obviously deluded'. The court heard that after the killing, Skebas said he had 'the power to resurrect' Lilia if the police contacted 'his controller in Nasa'.
Mr Campbell-Tiech said: 'Those who are directly touched by it (the killing) had their lives ruined. Nobody wins. It's only a question of who loses more. Treating clinicians doubt that he (Skebas) will recover. His future is not one that any of us would wish for ourselves or our children.'
Legal Proceedings Continue
Mr Donnellan told the jury: 'He is saying he's not guilty of murder, but guilty of manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility.' Jurors were told there is no dispute Skebas stabbed and killed Lilia, but they must decide what the defendant's state of mind was when he killed her.
The court heard that in December 2022, the defendant was transferred from prison to Rampton Hospital. Skebas has been treated for his mental health both in the UK and in Lithuania. The trial continues as the court examines the complex intersection of violent crime and mental health responsibility.
