Olivia Pratt-Korbel murder-accused 'was smoking spliff' at time of shooting

The antheral accused of murdering Olivia Pratt-Korbel has told his proceedings helium was counting £10,000 successful currency and smoking drugs astir the clip of the shooting.

A gunman changeable nine-year-old Olivia and injured her mother, Cheryl Korbel, aft chasing a convicted cause trader into their Liverpool location successful August.

Thomas Cashman denies being the gunman, saying a pistillate who said she heard him confess was "trying to ruin his life".

Mr Cashman, 34, denies execution and different offences astatine Manchester Crown Court.

Jurors person heard Olivia and her 46-year-old parent were changeable aft a gunman chased Joseph Nee into their location successful the Dovecot country of the metropolis astatine astir 22:00 BST connected 22 August.

Mr Cashman, who connected Tuesday admitted being a "high-level cannabis dealer", said that astatine astir 21:15 connected the nighttime of the shooting helium had been picked up by a person called Craig Byrne.

He said they went to Mr Byrne's location to number retired £10,000 successful cash.

"We counted wealth past went downstairs, I done myself a spliff successful the kitchen, went successful the backmost plot and was having conscionable a wide chit-chat with Craig," helium told the court.

Mr Cashman said erstwhile helium aboriginal went into the beforehand plot of the location successful Snowberry Road, helium could perceive sirens and was told by idiosyncratic determination were "police everywhere".

Jurors person antecedently heard from a woman, who cannot beryllium named for ineligible reasons, who had a little narration with father-of-two Mr Cashman.

She alleged helium went to her location aft the shooting, wherever she said helium changed his apparel and she heard him saying helium had "done Joey".

Asked whether astatine immoderate signifier helium had confessed, Mr Cashman said: "No, I did not, she's trying to ruin my life.

"She is trying to ruin my beingness because, for 1 thing, I won't permission my spouse for her. There's loads of reasons."

Mr Cashman besides claimed the woman's fellow owed him a £25,000 cause indebtedness truthful she wanted him "out of the way".

Defending, John Cooper KC went done Mr Cashman's movements, caught connected CCTV and doorbell cameras, connected the time of Olivia's murder.

Prosecutors allege helium walked and travelled successful his van astir the country up of a program to find Mr Nee and execute a "hit".

But Mr Cashman denied this, saying his movements were alternatively to bash with his cannabis dealing - dropping disconnected drugs and collecting wealth astatine assorted addresses successful Dovecot and sometimes "socialising" by having a spliff with friends.

Mr Cooper asked him: "It's suggested that the intent of your movements was not for the crushed you say, but either for the crushed of executing a deed oregon readying a hit?"

Mr Cashman replied: "No, that's not existent whatsoever. What you spot present is emblematic of a section lad who sells cannabis successful the area."

The defendant, of Grenadier Drive, denies the execution of Olivia, the attempted execution of Mr Nee, wounding with intent to bash grievous bodily harm to Ms Korbel, and 2 counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.