Killer who slit seven-year-old girl's throat in park horror has sentenced increased after judge's error

A KILLER who slit a seven-year-old girl's throat in front of her horrified family has had her sentence increased after a judge's error.

Eltiona Skana, 30, knifed seven-year-old Emily Jones as she ran towards her mum in Bolton, Greater Manchester, in a Mother's Day bloodbath.

The paranoid schizophrenic was last month sentenced to life with a minimum of eight years after admitting manslaughter with diminished responsibility.

But this has now been upped to ten years and eight months after the sentencing judge admitted the minimum term was "calculated in error".

Mr Justice Wall told Teesside Crown Court he had handed out the original figure by halving the suggested determinate sentence of 16 years.

But he explained: "However, when I passed that sentence I had forgotten from the 1st April 2020 the law as to the minimum period to be served by a violent or sexual offender whose sentence was or exceeded seven years was two thirds, and not one half of the sentence."

The judge added: "It is an error to which all in court fell, for which I take full responsibility."

MOTHER'S DAY BLOODBATH

Skana's hybrid sentence will be spent in hospital and she may remain there for the rest of her life unless she is fit to go to prison.

Little Emily was playing on a scooter in Queen's Park, Bolton, on March 22 when the horror unfolded.

She was shouting to out to her mum, Sarah Barnes, who was jogging nearby when Skana pounced.

The killer leapt up from a bench and grabbed the innocent youngster – slashing her throat with a craft knife.

Dad Mark, who cradled his dying daughter in his arms, at first believed she had fallen from her scooter until a woman yelled: "She's been stabbed."

Emily was rushed to hospital but sadly couldn't be saved and died 30 minutes later.

ROBBED OF LIFE

Mark bravely faced his daughter's killer in court last month as she was sentenced over the attack.

Reading a powerful victim impact statement, he said: "How can you put into words how you feel about the senseless death of your only child? It is just too difficult to comprehend.

"Our future has also been taken away. How can you enjoy life when the biggest part of it isn't there anymore.

"We will never see Emily grow and become the wonderful young lady we knew she would become, we will never see her hold her own child in her arms, as we held her.

"How can an innocent child, playing in the park, be killed in such a violent and monstrous way?"

Jurors heard how Skana, who came to the UK from Albania with her family in 2014, has a history of mental illness.

But after the verdict was returned, The Sun revealed how medical staff knew she could harm youngsters — but those monitoring her in the community were unaware of the danger.

'TICKING TIME BOMB'

Emily's dad Mark described his daughter's killer as a "ticking time bomb" as he called for those who left her free to kill to get the sack.

Skana also entered the UK illegally in 2014 in the back of a lorry and applied for asylum, claiming to be a trafficking victim.

The Home Office rejected her claim but, after an appeal, reversed its decision, later granting her leave to remain until December 2024.

But in court, it emerged that Skana admitted to doctors her trafficking victim claim was a lie.

Other shocking revelations also emerged – including how Skana had a violent past.

She stabbed her own mum in 2017 and attacked her sister in another assault.

Two years before that, she was sectioned after she wielded a knife against her neighbours.

From mid-December of last year until March 11, Skana had no face-to-face contact with her mental health workers.

When police raided her flat after her arrest they found a stash of un-taken anti-psychotic drugs, which amounted to around a month's worth of medication.

In a touching tribute at the time of Emily's death, her parents called her the “light of our lives”.

They said: “Emily was seven years old, our only child and the light of our lives. She was always full of joy, love and laughter.

“Emily had such a cheeky smile and was beautiful inside and out. She had a heart as big as her smile.”

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