Emily Jones was stabbed on 22 March 2020, at Queen’s Park in Bolton, Greater Manchester, 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 subsequently charged with murder.
Age
She was 7 years old.
Parents
She was the daughter of Mark Jones and solicitor Sarah Barnes.
Emily Jones Murder
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 her death was diagnosed at 15.56 hours 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.”
Court Hearings
Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester heard Little Emily Jones had been brought to Queen’s Park in Bolton that Sunday afternoon by her father Mark Jones when she was attacked by Eltiona Skana.
Emily was calling out to her mother, Sarah Barnes, who was jogging around the park wearing headphones, moments before the attack on March 22 this year.
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Michael Brady QC, opening the case for the prosecution, said: “Emily’s path towards her mum took her past the defendant who, as Emily scooted by, grabbed her and in one movement slit her throat with the craft knife and then threw her to the ground.
“There had been no interaction between Emily and the defendant.
“The wound was un-survivable and Emily died shortly thereafter.”
Skana is appearing at the trial via video-link from high security Rampton Hospital.
The 30-year-old has admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility but denies murder.
Mr Brady said at around 2.15pm that day Emily’s father took her to the park on her scooter while her mother had gone for a run.
