Man Accused Of Killing 9-Year-Old Girl Brutally Attacked By Jail Cellmate: Report

jail-4759939_1920 — Representation. Jehovah's Witnesses members in Russia, who numbered an estimated 170,000, have reportedly been subjected to raids and arrests, among other things, since the religion's activities were banned in the country in 2017. falco/Pixabay

KEY POINTS

The 22-year-old man was rushed to the hospital after being slashed and battered by his cellmate, according to reports
He was reportedly discharged from the hospital the day after he was attacked
The 22-year-old is accused of fatally stabbing a 9-year-old girl in front of her younger sister last month

A 22-year-old man in England who is accused of fatally stabbing a 9-year-old girl was rushed to the hospital following a brutal jail attack carried out by his cellmate, according to reports.

Lithuanian national Deividas Skebas was being held in HMP Wakefield, a Category A men's prison in West Yorkshire, England, when he was allegedly slashed and beaten by his cellmate, the Daily Mail reported. The name of the cellmate was not disclosed in the report.

"A prisoner at HMP Wakefield was treated in hospital for injuries following an assault by another prisoner," a Prison Service spokesperson said in a statement obtained by the Daily Mail. "We are unable to comment further while police investigate."

Skebas' cellmate allegedly attacked him with a makeshift "shank," according to The Sun. International Business Times could not independently verify this information.

The fruit picker reportedly was airlifted to a hospital, where he stayed overnight. Skebas was discharged from the hospital and returned to his cell the following day, reports said.

He has been under constant supervision since his return to prison.

Skebas was remanded into custody earlier this month following an appearance at Lincoln Crown Court, where he was charged with murder.

He is accused of stabbing to death Lilia Valutyte, 9, outside her mother's embroidery shop in Boston, Lincolnshire, on July 28, according to Daily Mail.

At the time of the stabbing, the child is said to have been playing with her 5-year-old sister outside the Sava Code embroidery and screen printing shop, which was opened by her Lithuanian mother Lina Savicke in March, the report said.

Skebas was arrested and charged on July 31 after a CCTV appeal, The Guardian reported.

Police released four CCTV images of a man who detectives said they wished to trace. The footage showed a man in the Wormgate and Fountain Lane area of Boston at 6:15 p.m. on July 28, five minutes before Valutyte was found dead.

Skebas, of Boston, is due to appear in court for a trial preparation hearing on Sept. 19, when a provisional trial date is likely to be set.

Skebas reportedly came from the industrial city of Utena in north-east Lithuania, where members of his family still live.

Chief Superintendent Martyn Parker described Lilia's murder as "heartbreaking," adding that the case "has affected many people in Boston, and further afield," according to Daily Mail.