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A 30-year-old Albanian woman pleads guilty to stabbing a seven-year-old girl in front of her horrified lawyer mother on Mother’s Day in a random attack, but denies the murder
- Eltiona Skana, 30, pleaded guilty to unlawful manslaughter at Manchester Crown Court
- Skana stabbed seven-year-old Emily Jones in Queen’s Park, Bolton
- Emily’s parents watched with horror the attack on Mother’s Day this year.
An Albanian woman pleaded guilty to stabbing seven-year-old Emily Jones in a random attack in front of her horrified parents on Mother’s Day, but denies the murder.
Eltiona Skana, 30, pleaded guilty to the unlawful murder charge during a brief hearing when she appeared at Manchester Crown Court via video link from Rampton Hospital in Nottinghamshire.
Seven-year-old Emily was stabbed to death while visiting Queen’s Park in Bolton with her parents on March 22.
The only child of attorney Sarah Barnes and credit manager Mark Jones died shortly after the attack, which was previously described as ‘unprovoked and random’
Emily Jones’ parents witnessed their seven-year-old daughter being stabbed to death in Queen’s Park, Bolton, on Mother’s Day. Today Eltiona Skana, 30, pleaded guilty to the unlawful murder charge
Appearing at today’s hearing via video link, Skana was accompanied by a member of her legal team.
Skana, originally from Albania, has pleaded not guilty to an alternative charge in the murder of the young man on March 22 at Queen’s Park in Bolton.
Michael Brady, the prosecutor, asked the judge, Judge Henshaw, to postpone the hearing for seven days for the prosecution’s attorneys to consider the statement.
Judge Henshaw accepted the postponement, adding that the matter would proceed on the basis of a “full-blown trial”, scheduled to begin on November 23.
Speaking at an earlier hearing, Judge Richard Mansell QC, turned to Emily’s father and said, ‘I’m going to tell you something personally. I cannot imagine the pain that you and your wife are going through right now.
‘You have my personal deepest condolences and I am sure of the deepest condolences from all those involved in the judicial process.
‘This case is clearly one that has a high priority.
“You have my condolences for what is an unimaginable loss.”
In a moving tribute just days after the loss of her daughter, Emily’s mother Sarah Barnes created a fundraising page.
Police conducted a search of Queen’s Park on March 23, the day after Emily Jones was stabbed to death in front of her parents. Her mother, Sarah Barnes, described the seven-year-old as a ‘beautiful and intelligent child’
The page, which has received more than £ 20,000 in donations, says: “Emily was only 7 years old. Emily was such a happy, cheerful, beautiful and intelligent girl. An absolute pleasure to pass the time.
“Emily was extremely athletic and adventurous, with a lot of energy. She packed a lot in her short life. Emily loved to play tennis, had swimming lessons, learned to ride horses.
“ Nothing made Emily go out of style and as such she looked forward to visiting the climbing walls at Keswick and loved hiking. ”
Mr. Jones attended today’s hearing, while Ms. Barnes did not.
A new audience is expected in the next seven days.
