Egle Zilinskaite, 31, concealed the births of two newborn babies (Image: WALES NEWS SERVICE)
Egle Zilinskaite hid the bodies of two newborn babies in bin bags after their births were concealed due to her distrust in authorities, a Cardiff Crown Court heard on Thursday.
The 31 year old was under investigation for fraud when police officers, searching her Bridgend home, were hit by a “foul stench” emanating from the property.
This grim odour led to the shocking find as officers uncovered the bodies stashed away in an attic and an airing cupboard.
The deceased infants, both boys, were later confirmed to be the children of Zilinskaite and her partner, Zilvinas Ledovskis, aged 50.
The court heard that the probe into Zilinskaite and another individual began after suspicions arose that they were falsely collecting clothing for a cancer charity, only to sell the items for profit, reports Birmingham Live.
On the evening of November 26, 2022, police searched Zilinskaite’s residence at Maes y Felin, Wildmill, where Mr Ledovskis granted them entry.
As the officers entered, they encountered the “foul smell,” which one likened to “fish food”.
The stench intensified upon accessing the attic, where amidst a pile of bedsheets, an officer discovered a “dense” package, which was then brought downstairs.
Prosecutor James Wilson recounted how the odour, now akin to “rotting flesh”, grew stronger as the grim discovery was made.
The package revealed a tightly secured bin bag, which upon inspection by the officer disclosed yet another bin bag within.
This was then meticulously examined to uncover a further bin bag, housing a third bag as the pungent odour grew stronger.
Nestled inside the third bin bag lay an orange carrier containing a duvet cover which held several towels bearing brown staining.
Mr Wilson said: “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.
“This was a shocking and disturbing discovery and the focus of the police investigation changed completely.”
Crime scene specialists were summoned to the property and the remains of the first infant were secured whilst the rest of the house was searched.
Upon opening the airing cupboard, officers again noted a strong odour and inside a bag were the remains of a second baby, stored amongst towels and sheets.
A pathologist was called to the house to examine the bodies of the babies, who have been called Baby A and Baby B for the purpose of court proceedings.
Both babies were described as “severely decomposed” and both bodies were transported to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff for post mortems.
Both children were found to be male and were full term babies.
Egle Zilinskaite, 31, concealed the births of two newborn babies, whose decomposed bodies were discovered at her home in Bridgend. (Image: WALES NEWS SERVICE)
It was impossible to confirm if the babies had received any injuries or what the causes of their deaths were, but the presence of fragments of umbilical cords meant it was likely their deaths occurred around the time of their births.
DNA samples were collected from the babies, revealing they were siblings rather than identical twins, suggesting separate birth occasions.
Following DNA analysis, Zilinskaite was confirmed as the infants’ mother whilst Mr Ledovskis was established as the father.
A yellow cord found on one of the bags underwent DNA testing, yielding a genetic profile that matched Zilinskaite’s.
Zilinskaite, currently residing on Clifton Street, Cardiff, underwent initial psychiatric evaluation before admitting guilt to two charges of preventing lawful and decent burial alongside two charges of concealing child births.
The court was informed that the defendant, a Lithuanian citizen, possessed a pattern of hiding her children’s births and harboured a “fundamental mistrust” of medical professionals and authorities across both Britain and Lithuania. Her criminal record remains clean.
Mr Ledovskis faced identical charges initially, though prosecutors withdrew all allegations against him due to insufficient evidence.
Defence counsel Matthew Roberts described his client as a “vulnerable, grieving mother” battling depression who had “through no fault of her own” delivered two stillborn infants, emphasising the absence of “any evidence of foul play”. He stated Zilinskaite fell pregnant twice, giving birth at home without medical help, resulting in both children being stillborn.
Baby A was taken to the address in Bridgend while Baby B was born there.
Mr Roberts described the defendant as a “victim of a tragedy” and noted she had not made elaborate efforts to hide the infants’ remains.
He remarked: “They remained (at the house) because she was attached to them emotionally.”
Following her arrest, Zilinskaite has been trying to piece her life back together, securing a job and new accommodation. Her counsel highlighted her history of emotional and physical abuse as a child and a tumultuous relationship with Mr Ledovskis, which has since concluded.
Mr Roberts added: “She has obtained some sort of closure from these proceedings and was able to arrange a proper funeral for these babies which took place in May this year. She has not started to come to terms with her loss.”
Sentencing, the Recorder of Cardiff, Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke, said: “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 said the conditions in which the babies had been discovered caused a lack of integrity and degradation to the deceased and had prevented a full investigation into their deaths.
She added: “The deaths of your children were not your fault and you suffered the death of your children at birth.”
Zilinskaite was sentenced to two years imprisonment, suspended for two years.
The defendant was also ordered to carry out a 15 day rehabilitation activity requirement and 200 hours unpaid work.