Emily Jones (manslaughter victim)

On 20 May, the suspect was named by the Greater Manchester Police as Eltiona Skana (born 24 February 1990), who is originally from Albania.

She married in February 2012 and moved to Kuwait, but returned to Albania in September 2013.

She then left Albania again and went to Germany, where her sister arranged for an agent to transport Skana through Italy and France and smuggle her into the United Kingdom on a lorry.

Emily Grace Jones was born on 18 January 2013 in Bolton.

Her parents were credit manager Mark Jones and solicitor Sarah Barnes.

The family were from the Doffcocker area.

Jones's parents said, "Emily was seven years old, our only child and the light of our lives. She was always full of joy, love and laughter."

Skana claimed asylum upon her arrival in the United Kingdom on 13 August 2014.

The court heard that Skana was admitted to a psychiatric hospital in 2015 after threatening her neighbours with a weapon, and was again detained and given further treatment in 2017 when she stabbed her mother in the hand and threatened her sister.

Police discovered anti-psychotic medication in Skana's flat after her arrest, which defending barrister Simon Csoka said amounted to "about a month's worth".

On the fourth day of the trial, Jonathan Pettet, a psychiatric nurse at Rampton Hospital, said Skana had told him, "'I killed someone, that’s the reason why I’m here.' She said, ‘it was premeditated, I waited in the park, I picked my victim and I killed somebody and tried to run away'."

Dr. Syed Afghan, a consultant forensic psychiatrist, said on the sixth day of the trial that Skana had a history of violence when unmedicated.

He stated that, during Skana's detainment at Rampton Hospital, it was mutually agreed to discontinue the anti-psychotic medication, after which hospital staff observed Skana behaving strangely.

Her asylum application was initially refused in June 2018, but this decision was overturned following an appeal and she was given a residency permit lasting until November 2020, and leave to remain until 2024.

Skana later admitted to lying on her asylum application, by falsely claiming that she was a victim of human trafficking.

At the time of her arrest, Skana was unemployed and lived in a flat in Bolton.

Skana was charged with murder along with possession of a bladed article.

She was remanded in custody and scheduled to appear at Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court on 26 May.

She did not enter a plea to the charges at her May court appearance.

A plea and trial preparation hearing took place on 5 October.

Appearing via a video link from Rampton Secure Hospital, Skana did not speak at the October hearing, and her barrister asked that the arraignment happen at a later date.

Presiding judge, Mr. Justice Henshaw, adjourned the proceedings until 6 November.

At the November hearing, Skana denied the charge of murder, but pled guilty to the lesser included offence of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

An adjournment of the hearing for seven days was requested to give the prosecution time to consider the manslaughter plea.

Justice Henshaw granted the adjournment, and added that the case would proceed on the basis of a "full-blown trial".

On 22 March 2020, 7-year-old Emily Grace Jones was stabbed at Queen's Park in Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, while riding her scooter and died shortly afterwards.

Eltiona Skana, a 30-year-old Albanian woman unknown to the Jones family, was arrested on the scene and later charged with murder.

Skana pleaded guilty to the lesser included offence of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility on 6 November 2020.

After a trial at Minshull Street Crown Court from 26 November to 4 December, the charge of murder was withdrawn by the prosecution and the jury was directed to formally return a not guilty verdict for murder.

On 8 December, she was given a life sentence, with a minimum term of eight years, for the conviction of manslaughter.

On 26 January 2021, Skana's minimum sentence was increased to 10 years and eight months, with the presiding judge stating the previous minimum sentence had been "calculated in error".

The Jones family were at Queen's Park in Bolton on 22 March 2020, which was Mother's Day in the United Kingdom.

The police coroner's officer Rebecca Gardner described the attack, "Emily was on her scooter playing. As she rode past a wooden bench, a female sat on the bench suddenly attacked Emily, stabbing her in the neck, causing catastrophic injury. Emily was taken to Salford Royal Hospital, but despite best efforts to save Emily she was pronounced dead at 15:56 that day."

Coroner Alan Walsh stated, "In my 20 years as a coroner this is one of the most tragic deaths that I have dealt with."

On the morning of the attack, the perpetrator had bought a pack of three craft knives, one of which she used to kill Jones, from a shop in Bolton town centre.

Immediately after the stabbing, Skana attempted to flee the area, but was tackled to the ground by a member of the public and restrained until police arrived.

A 30-year-old woman who was unknown to the Jones family was arrested on the scene.

She was detained under the Mental Health Act and placed in a high-security facility.

An inquest into Jones' death was opened on 1 April, and adjourned to 3 July.

Skana's trial began on 26 November 2020.