A woman has been sentenced after 7-year-old Emily Jones was killed in Bolton

Eltiona Skana (24/02/1990) has today (Tuesday 8 December 2020), been sentenced to life with a minimum of eight years at Minshull Street Crown Court, after pleading guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Skana has been sentenced under the Mental Health Act 2003 and has been deemed a dangerous offender so will need to be medically assessed before being considered for release.
 
On Sunday 22 March 2020, 7-year-old Emily Jones was riding her scooter through Queen's Park with her father, Mark when she began scooting towards her mother, Sarah who was jogging through the park. 

On her journey, Emily was scooting past a bench that Skana was sitting on and completely unprovoked; Skana got up and grabbed Emily before attacking her with a knife and throwing her to the ground. 
 
Emily's father immediately ran to her aid whilst Skana fled on foot towards the exit of the park, followed by a member of the public who bravely managed to detain her until police arrived at the scene. 
 
Emily was rushed to hospital but had tragically sustained an un-survivable neck injury and sadly passed away despite the best efforts of medical professionals and her family.
 
Skana has remained in secure facilities ever since this incident. 
 
Senior Investigating Officer Duncan Thorpe, of GMP's Major Incident Team, said: "This was an absolutely devastating incident that has left Emily's parents and family completely heartbroken and I know it sent shockwaves across the country as everyone mourned the loss of this innocent little girl.

"Emily was taken from her family and friends in the worst possible way. No sentence can ever undo what happened on that awful day in March, but Emily's spirit will live on in her family and I know that she will never be forgotten."