Deividas Skebas guilty of murdering nine-year-old Lilia Valutyte

Deividas Skebas guilty of murdering nine-year-old Lilia Valutyte

A nine-year-old girl was fatally stabbed while playing outside a shop where her mother worked, leading to a murder conviction. The incident took place in Boston, Lincolnshire, on July 28, 2022, when Deividas Skebas attacked Lilia Valutyte. Despite admitting to the killing, Skebas denied murder, claiming his mental health affected his responsibility. However, a jury at Lincoln Crown Court ultimately found him guilty.

Deividas Skebas, aged 26 and formerly residing on Thorold Street in Boston, was taken into custody and is set to be sentenced on February 25. At the time of the attack, Lilia had been playing with a hula hoop alongside a friend outside her mother’s shop on Fountain Lane. Skebas approached them shortly after 6:20 pm and stabbed Lilia in the chest.

Lilia’s mother, Lina Savicke, recounted hearing her daughter’s call and seeing her collapse into her arms shortly after being stabbed. Despite immediate attempts to save her by an off-duty police officer, doctors, and paramedics, Lilia died within an hour of the attack. Skebas was arrested two days later at his home, with a recently purchased paring knife discovered hidden behind a radiator.

During the trial, medical experts testified that Skebas was diagnosed with schizophrenia and was exhibiting psychosis at the time of the attack. Despite this, the prosecution argued that the killing was deliberate and premeditated. Prosecutor Christopher Donnellan KC described the act as “wicked,” emphasizing that Skebas was fully aware he was taking the life of a child. Skebas listened to the verdict via video link from Rampton Hospital, showing no visible emotion

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