…By Henry George for TDPel Media.
Deividas Skebas, who fatally stabbed nine-year-old Lilia Valutyte in the heart as she played in the street, has been given an indefinite hospital order.
A jury, in a two-day trial of the facts at Lincoln Crown Court, ruled that Skebas knifed Lilia once in the chest in Fountain Lane, Boston, Lincolnshire, last summer.
Due to his mental health, Skebas was deemed unfit to plead or face a conventional trial.
Detention in a Secure Hospital
Following the jury’s determination, which took approximately 15 minutes of deliberation, Skebas was detained in a secure hospital for an indefinite period.
This outcome was the only sentence that the court could pass.
Judge Mrs Justice McGowan DBE expressed the unimaginable grief and suffering endured by Lilia’s family.
She highlighted the CCTV footage showing Skebas taking a knife from his jeans pocket, running down the road, and stabbing Lilia as she played.
Lilia tragically died from a single stab wound to the heart.
Appropriate Measures for the Case
Considering Skebas’s act of killing a child, Judge Mrs Justice McGowan DBE determined that the appropriate course of action was to make an order under Section 37 of the Mental Health Act 1983.
As a result, Skebas will be readmitted to and detained at Rampton Hospital.
The judge further ordered a restriction under section 41 of the Mental Health Act, which requires the approval of the Justice Secretary for Skebas to be discharged from the hospital.
Ultimately, the judge issued a hospital order without a restriction of time.
Jury’s Role and Attack Description
The jury’s task was not to deliver a guilty or not guilty verdict or determine Skebas’s intent to kill.
Their responsibility was solely to establish whether Skebas physically carried out the act he was accused of.
Skebas attacked Lilia just eight days after returning to the UK from Lithuania for the second time.
CCTV footage presented in court showed Skebas running towards Lilia while she played outside her mother’s workplace at around 6:15 pm on July 28.
He pulled out a knife from behind his back, stabbed her once in the chest, and fled the scene.
Evidence and Skebas’s Non-participation
Prosecutor Christopher Donnellan KC informed the court that a Sabatier paring knife, purchased by Skebas two days prior to the killing, was found at his residence in Thorold Street, Boston.
Additionally, a bloodstained T-shirt belonging to Lilia was discovered.
During a police interview, Skebas admitted to stabbing the young schoolgirl.
Skebas was not present for his sentencing, did not attend the trial, and did not engage in any part of the proceedings.
Potential Trial if Mental Health Improves
Future Possibility of a Murder Trial
In the event that Skebas’s mental health improves, he may face a conventional trial for murder.
However, the focus remains on his mental well-being and appropriate treatment in the secure hospital setting.
Read More On The Topic On TDPel Media