Hula Hoop Horror: Girl, 9, Stabbed to Death by Stranger Outside Mum’s Shop
Lina Savickiene’s world was shattered when her nine-year-old daughter, Lilia Valytute, collapsed in her arms, soaked in blood after a brutal stabbing outside their family shop. Almost four years on, justice finally caught up with the killer – but the pain is far from over.
Life Behind Bars for Cold-Blooded Killer
Deividas Skebas, 26, was jailed for life with a minimum of 25 years at lincoln-crown-court/" title="Lincoln Crown Court" data-wpil-keyword-link="linked">Lincoln Crown Court on Wednesday. The horrific murder happened on 28 July 2022 when Lilia, playing with a hula hoop outside her mum’s embroidery shop in Boston, Lincolnshire, was stabbed through the heart.
“She was getting pale. She collapsed in my hands. I saw the wounds, started to cover them. I just got scared, started to shout for somebody to help me,” recounted Lina in a moving victim impact statement read by her husband, Aurelijus Savickas.
Little Lilia’s five-year-old sister stood nearby as the schoolgirl took her last breath, the hula hoop still around her when her mum found her covered in blood.
Family’s Agonising Wait for Justice
Lina, who became a local councillor after losing her daughter, says grief never fades. “She was my firstborn. On the day she was born, we almost died – we fought for each other’s lives. And where are we now?” she said, visiting the killer’s hometown to seek answers.
Aurelijus slammed claims that both sides were victims, saying, “The person who committed the crime still has the ability to taste food, smell scents, choose who to communicate with and is able to live. As Lilia did not choose to die this can never be compared.”
Chilling CCTV and Killer’s Shocking Actions
Judge Akhlaq Choudhury described Lilia as a “carefree, happy girl” who should have been safe. CCTV showed Skebas buying a kitchen knife two days prior, then stalking the area before plunging the blade into Lilia’s heart at 6.15pm.
Skebas, a schizophrenic cannabis user, denied murder but admitted manslaughter citing diminished responsibility. The court heard he regularly used cannabis despite knowing its effect on his mental health. After the attack, he tried to cover his tracks – changing his appearance, hiding the knife, and attempting to flee to Lithuania.
Killer Held in High-Security Psychiatric Hospital
Previously detained in 2020 for psychosis-related violence, Skebas returned to the UK legally in July 2022 and lived in a shared home in Boston. He appeared via video link from Rampton Hospital, showing no emotion as the sentence was passed.
Police praised Lilia’s family for their “remarkable strength” through the painful wait. Prosecutor Marc Thompson added, “This has been a lengthy process for Lilia’s family and loved ones, as they were forced to wait for Skebas to be fit to take part in this trial.”
With a minimum 25-year term, Skebas won’t be considered for parole until 2047. His sentence includes ongoing confinement in a secure psychiatric unit, reflecting his complex mental health needs alongside serving time for this tragic, ruthless crime.
