THE POSSIBILITY of paranoid schizophrenic Eltiona Skana carrying out the horrific killing of schoolgirl Emily Jones could not have been foreseen says the mental health trust responsible for her care in the community.

In 2015 30-year-old Skana was diagnosed with schizophrenia and over the last five years has been sectioned and treated as an in-patient twice at the Royal Bolton Hospital.

On one occasion she had picked up a knife after claiming neighbours wanted to harm her using electricity and another time she stabbed her mother in the hand and hit her over the head with an iron.

Put on anti-psychotic medication, Skana, of Ernest Street, Bolton, was allowed out of hospital after treatment and cared for by the community mental health team.

But on March 11 just days before she killed Emily in Queens Park, a mental health nurse who visited her said she showed no psychotic symptoms, she was clean and well-kempt and behaving normally.

In a statement following the collapse of Skana's trial for murder Neil Thwaite, chief executive of Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust said; "We extend our deepest sympathies to Emily’s family and everyone affected by this tragic incident.

"We recognise the devastating impact Emily’s death has had on everyone who knew and loved her, and offer our heartfelt condolences to Emily’s parents and family at this sad time.

“We treat incidents of this kind with the utmost seriousness and completed an internal rigorous review.

"Whilst this identified learning for our services, the review found there were no markers of deterioration in Ms Skana’s mental state or behaviour which would have foreseen this tragic event. ”