Quick Read
- Deividas Skebas, 26, was found guilty of murdering nine-year-old Lilia Valutyte in Boston, Lincolnshire.
- Lilia was stabbed in the heart on July 28, 2022, while playing outside her mother’s shop.
- The jury rejected Skebas’s claim of diminished responsibility due to his mental state, despite a schizophrenia diagnosis.
- Prosecutors argued the killing was a ‘deliberate and planned’ act.
- Skebas is scheduled to be sentenced on February 25.
BOSTON (Azat TV) – Deividas Skebas, 26, was found guilty on Thursday of the murder of nine-year-old Lilia Valutyte, who was stabbed to death in Boston, Lincolnshire, on July 28, 2022. The verdict, delivered by a jury at Lincoln Crown Court, concludes a prolonged legal process that sought justice for Lilia and her family, significantly impacting the close-knit community of Boston.
Lilia was playing outside her mother’s shop when Skebas fatally stabbed her in the heart. The attack, which occurred in broad daylight, sent shockwaves through the historic market town. Prosecutors from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) expressed their unwavering determination to ensure Skebas faced the full force of justice, refuting his claims of diminished responsibility.
Jury Rejects Diminished Responsibility Claim
Throughout the trial, Deividas Skebas admitted to killing Lilia Valutyte but denied murder, asserting that his mental state at the time diminished his responsibility. However, the prosecution, led by Christopher Donnellan KC, argued that the act was ‘deliberate and planned,’ a ‘wicked act’ committed with full knowledge of killing a child. After more than seven hours of deliberation, the jury returned an 11-to-one majority verdict, convicting Skebas of murder.
Skebas had claimed in police interviews, conducted the day after his arrest, that he was ‘brainwashed’ and controlled by a microchip received in Norway, even asking police to contact NASA for help. Forensic psychiatrist Dr. Ian Cumming, called by the defense, testified that he was ‘confident’ Skebas was psychotic and had a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Indeed, a joint report by three psychiatrists during the trial agreed Skebas had schizophrenia and showed symptoms of psychosis on the day of the killing. Despite these medical assessments, the CPS maintained that the intent to kill or cause serious harm was evident, and it was in the public interest to proceed with a murder trial once Skebas was deemed fit.
The Tragic Events in Boston, Lincolnshire
The incident occurred shortly after 18:20 BST on July 28, 2022. Lilia Valutyte was playing with a hula hoop when Skebas approached her and stabbed her once in the chest. Home Office pathologist Dr. Stuart Hamilton told the court that the knife ‘effectively entered her heart,’ causing ‘severe and fatal internal bleeding.’ Lilia collapsed into her mother Lina Savicke’s arms, still clutching her bent hula hoop, and died moments later. CCTV footage shown to the court depicted Skebas walking around the town center for 69 minutes prior to the stabbing, suggesting a premeditated act.
Skebas was arrested two days after the attack at his multi-occupancy home in Thorold Street, Boston, where he lived in the TV room. A paring knife, believed to be the murder weapon, was discovered behind a radiator at his residence. It was not immediately clear why Skebas, a Lithuanian national, had returned to the UK on July 2, 2022, via Folkestone, after having been discharged to Lithuania from a hospital in 2020 where he was detained under the Mental Health Act for a previous pepper spray attack and showing signs of psychosis.
Community and Family Seek Closure
The murder of Lilia Valutyte deeply affected the community of Boston. Reverend Jane Robertson, during Lilia’s funeral, described the prevalent feeling of anger in the town as ‘real and valid.’ Marc Thompson, District Crown Prosecutor for Lincolnshire, acknowledged that Lilia’s ‘sudden and tragic’ death had ‘shook the community.’
Lilia’s mother, Lina Savicke, recounted the harrowing moments of that evening, her voice breaking as she described hearing her daughter’s cry and seeing the blood. The family has endured a lengthy process, forced to wait for Skebas to be declared fit for trial. Thompson paid tribute to their ‘resilience and patience,’ expressing hope that the verdict would bring some comfort. Tragically, Lilia would have turned 13 on Monday of this week, a poignant reminder of the years of loss her family has endured.
Sentencing Expected in February
Deividas Skebas, who appeared via video link from Rampton Hospital to hear the verdict and showed no visible emotion, has been remanded in custody. He is scheduled to be sentenced on February 25. The prosecution emphasized that while mental health considerations were part of the trial, their case was always that this was an unspeakable but deliberate act, not solely a result of a mental abnormality as claimed by Skebas.
The verdict in the Deividas Skebas trial highlights the complex balance within the justice system between acknowledging severe mental health conditions and ensuring accountability for deliberate violent acts, particularly when they involve such profound societal impact.