Man guilty of murdering schoolgirl, 9, on street while she played with hula hoop

The Lithuanian defendant admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility but was convicted of murder by a jury at Lincoln Crown Court.

There was no dispute that Skebas, diagnosed with schizophrenia, killed Lilia, however the jury had to decide what his state of mind was at the time of the attack.

Opening the case last week, Christopher Donnellan KC told jurors: "This deliberate murder was clearly a wicked act.

"He knew his conduct was wrong. He knew he was killing a child."

Mr Justice Choudhury did not address the defendant, who watched on a link from Rampton high security hospital, after he adjourned the case for sentence on February 25.

Lilia’s mother, Lina Savickiene, held her daughter in her arms after she was attacked in the street.

In a victim impact statement read for her by her husband, Aurelijus Savickas, the grieving mother said: "During these nine years we lived life fully, we visited many places, we didn’t stand still.”

About her grief, Mrs Savickiene said: "This is not something you recover from. Sometimes terrifying thoughts overwhelm the mind and during this trial there have been many, many more."

She added: "Why her? Why us? The questions remain unanswered."

Mr Savickas, who became Lilia’s stepfather when she was three, said: "From that moment we walked our journey together. Becoming her stepfather was new for both of us, but I loved her as my own and always tried to be there for her."

During the trial, defence barrister Andrew Campbell-Tiech KC told the jury Skebas was "quite obviously deluded."

He said clinicians treating the killer doubted he will recover.

The court heard that after the killing, Skebas said he had "the power to resurrect" Lilia if the police contacted "his controller in Nasa."

The defendant, formerly of Thorold Street in Boston, was transferred from prison to Rampton Hospital in December 2022.

He was convicted by a majority of 11 to one after the jury deliberated for almost seven-and-a-half hours.

Detective Chief Inspector at Lincolnshire Police Jennifer Lovatt said: "Lilia Valutyte was a young girl who had her whole life ahead of her indeed on Monday February 2 it should have been her 13th birthday. She was dearly loved by her family and friends and did not deserve to lose her life.

"Those who knew her will forever mourn the loss of her future and the impact of her tragic death can still be felt in our community today. On July 28, 2022, Deividas Skebas performed an unspeakable act.

"Today is about justice for Lilia, her family and those who knew her. I would like to pay tribute to Lilia’s family and friends who have shown remarkable strength, dignity, patience and understanding throughout this investigation. We ask the media to respect their privacy as they process the events of this week’s proceedings."

Marc Thompson from the Crown Prosecution Service said: "The sudden and tragic death of such a young child shook our community. We were determined that the perpetrator of this crime would face the full force of justice for what he did.

"Our case has always been that this was an unspeakable, deliberate act and not, as Skebas has claimed, the result of a mental abnormality.

"This has been a lengthy process for Lilyas’s family and loved ones, as they have been forced to wait for Skebas to be fit to take part in this trial.

"I would like to pay tribute to their resilience and patience and I hope that seeing justice served will be of some comfort to them. Our thoughts are with them and all who feel Lilya’s loss so keenly."