SCHOOLGIRL Emily Jones’ killer has been sentenced to life in prison and will spend at least eight years behind bars.

Mr Justice Wall told her that although she has paranoid scizophrenia she bore some responsibility for her actions and will be treated in hospital until she is well enough to be transferred to jail.

“If you are never deemed fit for release you will remain in prison or hospital for the remainder of your life,” he told her.

Skana sat in the dock at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court as seven-year-old Emily’s family looked on.

The sentencing comes after 30-year-old Skana’s trial was halted last week and she was found not guilty of murdering seven-year-old Emily Jones in Queens Park, Bolton, on Mothers’ Day.

After the seven day hearing the prosecution offered no evidence as psychiatrists who were witnesses could offer no explanation for Skana’s behaviour other than she had paranoid schizophrenia and was delusional at the time she slashed Emily’s throat. The judge instructed the jury to return a ‘not guilty’ murder verdict.

Skana, of Ernest Street, Bolton, who was detained at Rampton high security hospital in Nottinghamshire after killing Emily on March 22, had already pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

But high court judge Mr Justice Wall said that, although it is accepted that Skana was having a psychotic episode at the time she killed Emily, he found it troubling that she was aware enough to purchase the knife, sit in a park concealing herself with her hood up and run away afterwards.

And at Skana’s last meeting with her community psychiatric nurse, 11 days before she killed Emily she claimed to be taking her medication. In fact she had stopped taking her anti-psychotic tablets.

“She knew enough and realised enough about her position to lie about it to the mental health worker,” said Mr Justice Wall.

He told Skana: “The devestating effects of what you did will live with Emily’s parents forever. It is obvious that nothing I can say or do can restore Emily to her family or offer any real comfort to them in their immense loss.

“There was no obvious reason for you doing what you did.”