A woman concealed the births of two newborns by hiding their bodies in bin bags due to her mistrust of authorities. Egle Zilinskaite, 31, was under investigation for fraud when police officers, visiting her Bridgend home, detected a “foul stench” emanating from the property.
The grim find was made as officers searched the house and discovered the remains of two baby boys secreted away in the attic and an airing cupboard. Cardiff Crown Court heard that the deceased infants were the offspring of Zilinskaite and her partner, 50-year old Zilvinas Ledovskis.
The court learned that the probe into Zilinskaite and another individual began after suspicions arose that they were profiting from selling clothes under the guise of charity fundraising for cancer.
On the evening of November 26, 2022, police conducted a search at Zilinskaite’s residence in Maes y Felin, Wildmill, where Mr Ledovskis granted them entry.
Upon entering, the officers encountered the overpowering odour, which one likened to “fish food”. The stench intensified as they accessed the attic hatch, uncovering a large bundle of bedsheets with a “dense” object wrapped within, which was then brought downstairs, reports Liverpool Echo.
In a shocking revelation, prosecutor James Wilson detailed the harrowing discovery made by an officer who faced an increasingly strong stench described as like “rotting flesh”. The source of the odour was a series of bin bags, one within the other, eventually revealing an orange bag that contained a duvet cover with stained towels.
Mr Wilson recounted: “The officer instantly realised within the towels were the remains of a human baby lying on their right side and their right hand had begun to decompose.”
He went on to say, “This was a shocking and disturbing discovery and the focus of the police investigation changed completely.”
Crime scene experts were summoned promptly, and they ensured the first baby’s remains were safeguarded while a thorough search was conducted. A dreadful repetition occurred when officers found a second baby’s body amongst household linens in the airing cupboard, also emitting a potent smell.
A pathologist then visited the site to inspect the tragically deceased infants, referred to as Baby A and Baby B for court proceedings. Both babies were noted as “severely decomposed”, and their remains were taken to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff for post mortems, where it was established that both were male full-term babies.
It was impossible to ascertain whether the infants had sustained any injuries or determine the cause of their deaths. However, the remnants of umbilical cords suggested that their demise likely occurred around the time of birth.
DNA samples were collected from the infants, revealing that they were siblings but not identical twins, indicating different birth times.
The DNA evidence led to the identification of Zilinskaite as the mother and Mr Ledovskis as the father of the babies. A yellow string on one of the bin bags was analysed for DNA, and a profile matching that of Zilinskaite was identified.
Zilinskaite, currently residing at Clifton Street, Cardiff, initially underwent psychiatric evaluation before pleading guilty to two counts each of preventing lawful and decent burial and concealing the birth of a child.
The court learned that the defendant, a Lithuanian national, had a history of hiding her pregnancies and harboured a “fundamental mistrust” of doctors and authorities in both the UK and Lithuania. She has no prior convictions.
He explained that Zilinskaite fell pregnant twice, giving birth at home without any medical help, resulting in both infants being stillborn. Baby A was brought to the Bridgend address while Baby B arrived there.
Mr Roberts portrayed the defendant as “a victim of a tragedy” and noted she hadn’t made sophisticated efforts to hide the bodies. He remarked: “They remained (at the house) because she was attached to them emotionally.”
During sentencing, Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke, the Recorder of Cardiff, delivered a stern message: “You made deliberate decisions not to seek any form of assistance or support from the authorities or notify the authorities of the births. You were aware the authorities could and would remove your children if necessary.”
The judge condemned the way the infants were found, stating it diminished their dignity and obstructed a full inquiry into their deaths.
She emphatically stated: “The deaths of your children were not your fault and you suffered the death of your children at birth.”
Zilinskaite received a two-year imprisonment sentence, suspended for the same duration. Furthermore, the defendant must complete a 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement along with 200 hours of unpaid work.