Lilia Valutyte stabbing: Jury to decide if defendant killed girl, 9

Lilia Valutyte was stabbed as she played in the street in Boston in July 2022

Jurors are considering whether a man charged with the murder of nine-year-old Lilia Valutyte in Boston carried out the act of killing her.

Lilia died from a single stab wound in her chest on 28 July last year, Lincoln Crown Court heard.

Deividas Skebas, 23, is charged with murder but has been found unfit to plead due to his mental health.

The jury will not be asked to decide whether he is guilty or not guilty, but whether they are sure he killed her.

Christopher Donnellan KC, prosecuting, told the trial of the facts Lilia was playing with a hula hoop in Fountain Lane, outside the shop where her mother was working, when Skebas approached with a "quickening pace" just before 18:15 BST.

Mr Donnellan said: "He thrust the knife straight into her chest and through into her heart."

He showed the jury of six men and six women a video showing a man, alleged to be Skebas, running towards Lilia before stabbing her and running away.

The court heard that, despite the efforts of paramedics and an off-duty police officer, Lilia was confirmed dead at 19:11.

Giving evidence, Det Con Andrew Pearson, who was off-duty at the time, described how he noticed a male stood and pacing close to the junction of Wormgate and Fountain Lane.

He said: "My attention was drawn to him. There was something that didn't quite feel right. I do recall seeing a young girl. My recollection is she was playing with a hula hoop."

'It was an anguished scream'

The court heard the officer searched for his headphones and then heard a large metallic clank.

"I immediately turned round and saw the male I'd previously seen coming towards me," he said.

"He quickened on seeing me. I made a few steps to follow, then I heard a scream. It sounded like a female adult scream. It was an anguished scream.

"I immediately walked back down Fountain Lane where I heard the scream. I recall there being two people there. A girl on the floor and an adult female."

The officer confirmed he took over from the mother and started CPR.

Police arrested Skebas two days later and found a Sabatier paring knife behind a radiator at his home, which was consistent with the injury suffered by Lilia, jurors heard.

During police interview Skebas, of Thorold Street, admitted he had stabbed Lilia and identified himself from CCTV.

Andrew Campbell Tiech KC, representing Skebas, told the jury he could not challenge any of the evidence as he had no instructions.

The trial continues.