Emily Jones: Child killer Eltiona Skana granted leave to appeal

Eltiona Skana admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility

A woman who admitted killing a seven-year-old girl in a park has been granted leave to appeal her sentence.

Eltiona Skana was detained in a high-security hospital after pleading guilty to the manslaughter of Emily Jones in Bolton on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

The 31-year-old was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 10 years and eight months.

That sentence will now be reviewed at the Court of Appeal.

Emily was scooting past Skana when the 31-year-old grabbed her and cut her throat

Emily was in Queen's Park with her father Mark Jones on 22 March 2020 when she spotted her mother Sarah Barnes, who was jogging.

The youngster was calling out to her mother as she scooted past a park bench where Skana was sitting alone, armed with a craft knife.

Skana, who has paranoid schizophrenia, got up, grabbed Emily and cut her throat before running off.

The 31-year-old, originally from Albania, was detained under the Mental Health Act.

Her original minimum term of eight years was increased to 10 years and eight months in January after a judge ruled that he had calculated the original length of time "in error".

Skana will serve her sentence in prison if her mental health improves.

A spokesman for the Court of Appeal confirmed the application for leave to appeal had been granted by a judge, but the nature of the appeal has not been made public and a court date has yet to be fixed.

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