Life Sentence Imposed for Brutal Murder of Nine-Year-Old Girl
Deividas Skebas, a 26-year-old Lithuanian national, has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 25 years for the murder of nine-year-old Lilia Valutyte. The horrific attack occurred on July 28, 2022, in the town centre of Boston, Lincolnshire, while the young girl was innocently playing with a hula hoop outside her mother's embroidery shop.
Trial Reveals Disturbing Details of the Crime
During the trial at Lincoln Crown Court, which concluded on February 5, the jury was presented with chilling CCTV footage showing Skebas stabbing Lilia in the chest, causing a fatal wound to her heart. Although Skebas admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility, citing a diagnosis of schizophrenia, the jury unanimously convicted him of murder after deliberating on his state of mind at the time of the attack.
Skebas, who appeared via video-link from Rampton Hospital, a high-security psychiatric facility in Nottinghamshire, showed no reaction as Mr Justice Choudhury delivered the sentence on Wednesday. The court heard that Skebas had entered the United Kingdom legally just three weeks before the murder and was employed as a fruit picker in the area.
Prosecution and Defence Arguments in the Case
Prosecutor Christopher Donnellan KC described the murder as "a wicked act" and argued that Skebas was fully aware of the gravity of his actions, stating he knew he was killing a child. In contrast, defence barrister Andrew Campbell-Tiech KC contended that Skebas's severe mental health issues, including delusions of being controlled by NASA, warranted a manslaughter conviction due to diminished responsibility.
Campbell-Tiech emphasized that Skebas was "quite obviously deluded" and noted that medical professionals treating him doubted his potential for recovery. Shockingly, after the killing, Skebas believed he possessed the power to resurrect Lilia, but only if police contacted his supposed controller at NASA.
Family's Heartbreaking Victim Impact Statement
The emotional toll on Lilia's family was poignantly expressed in a victim impact statement read by her stepfather, Aurelijus Savickas, on behalf of her mother, Lina Savickiene. Savickiene, who discovered her daughter's body and cradled her after the attack, wrote of an unimaginable grief that is "not something you recover from."
She described being overwhelmed by terrifying thoughts throughout the trial, repeatedly questioning "Why her? Why us?" with no answers forthcoming. The family's anguish underscores the profound and lasting impact of this senseless violence on the community and beyond.
