Thomas Cashman: Olivia Pratt-Korbel's killer jailed for life

The antheral who murdered nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel has been jailed for beingness and ordered to service a minimum of 42 years successful prison.

Thomas Cashman, 34, refused to spell into the dock for the sentencing and nary of his household were contiguous successful court.

He fatally changeable Olivia and injured her parent Cheryl Korbel arsenic helium chased a chap cause trader into their Liverpool location connected the evening of 22 August 2022.

The justice said his nonaccomplishment to look was "disrespectful" to Olivia's family.

John Cooper KC, defending, said Cashman had not attended the proceeding arsenic helium claimed the Crown Prosecution Service were singing "we are the champions" pursuing his conviction.

He said Cashman was acrophobic proceedings were "turning into a circus".

Sentencing him successful absentia astatine Manchester Crown Court, Mrs Justice Amanda Yip said cause trader Cashman was "not of erstwhile bully character", had made it wide helium was a transgression and had "demonstrated nary remorse".

"His nonaccomplishment to travel into tribunal is further grounds of that," she said.

She said Cashman "relentlessly pursued" Joseph Nee into Olivia's home, wherever the schoolgirl had near her furniture aft proceeding the commotion.

"She came downstairs to question the comfortableness of her mother," she said.

"Her past words were 'Mum, I'm scared'.

"In a unspeakable twist of fate, she had stepped straight into the enactment of fire."

The justice said she had considered handing down a whole-life order, meaning Cashman would ne'er beryllium released from prison, but had decided it was not merited due to the fact that the readying and premeditation successful his onslaught was not directed astatine Olivia.

She besides praised the bravery a pistillate who gave grounds against Cashman, who was granted beingness anonymity.

Earlier successful the hearing, Ms Korbel was successful tears arsenic she clutched a teddy carnivore made from her daughter's pyjamas portion giving her unfortunate interaction connection successful the witnesser box.

"I cannot get my caput astir however Cashman continued to sprout aft proceeding the terrified screams and utter devastation helium had caused," she said.

"His actions person near the biggest spread successful our lives."

Ms Korbel told the tribunal beingness was "so precise quiet" without her daughter, adding: "I conscionable can't header with the silence."

She said she spent each day reasoning astir the extremity of the schoolhouse time and her "sassy, chatty miss who everyone adored" adding: "My caput keeps telling maine that I've forgotten to prime her up from school."

She added that Olivia's grandma had died connected Sunday night, but had thankfully "lived agelong capable to spot that coward recovered guilty".

Olivia's begetter John Pratt told the tribunal helium was "heartbroken" and had "nightmares astir however she died [that] won't spell away".

Speaking straight to the absent Cashman, helium said: "You person denied my beauteous miss Olivia her future.

"I volition ne'er spot her connected her wedding day, and locomotion her down the aisle... and spot her turn into the beauteous pistillate she was destined to become.

"We person been robbed of her future. Because of you, she volition beryllium everlastingly nine."

Cashman, who told the tribunal helium made up to £5,000 each week from dealing cannabis successful Liverpool, was found blameworthy of murdering Olivia aft a proceedings which lasted much than 3 weeks.

The assemblage heard 36-year-old Nee was the intended people of the onslaught and Cashman, equipped with 2 guns, has been "lying successful wait" for his chap cause dealer.

Nee had tally towards the unfastened doorway of Olivia's location aft her parent went retired to spot what the sound was, the tribunal heard.

However, erstwhile she realised it was gunshots, she ran backmost into her to her location and tried to adjacent the doorway to support the strangers out, but Cashman changeable again.

The slug went done the doorway and Ms Korbel's hand, earlier hitting Olivia successful the chest.

Cashman, a father-of-two, denied being the gunman and had claimed helium was astatine a friend's location counting £10,000 successful currency and smoking cannabis astatine the clip of the attack.

BBC Panorama investigates however Liverpool came to predominate the UK cause marketplace and however organised transgression brought decease to Olivia Pratt-Korbel's door.

Judith Moritz, BBC North of England Correspondent

There were gasps from the nationalist assemblage arsenic the condemnation was announced.

Olivia's mum Cheryl and different relatives were crying, portion immoderate constabulary officers were besides tearful.

Outside the courtroom, Olivia's mum and aunties are hugging and crying.

This isn't conscionable astir justness for the nine-year-old and her family. It's besides a infinitesimal for the full assemblage successful Dovecot, Liverpool.

The lengthy imprisonment of Thomas Cashman volition reassure those helium intimidated, and who lived successful fearfulness of him. They whitethorn consciousness a spot safer arsenic a result.

But it won't lick the bigger issues which allowed him to flourish. The drugs commercialized volition continue, and the availability of firearms is inactive a problem.

The jailing of Cashman is simply a large triumph for the police. But they cognize there's inactive overmuch to do, to cleanable up the streets wherever helium operated.

Speaking aft the sentencing, Ms Korbel said her household "can present gully a enactment nether 7 months of agonising torment we person had to endure astatine the hands of Cashman".

"Justice has prevailed and I cannot statesman to explicit our relief," she said.

She besides thanked the witnesses "who bravely assisted the prosecution lawsuit and defied the accustomed stance [that] 'people bash not grass'".

She said they invited the condemnation "but my household and I person already started our beingness condemnation having to walk the remainder of our lives without Olivia".

John Pratt's sister Louise added that portion they were "happy" with the outcome, they "would not beryllium celebrating, arsenic thing volition capable the spread near successful our lives pursuing the nonaccomplishment of Olivia".

Det Supt Mark Baker, who led the investigation, said the "courage and bravery of Olivia's household [was] successful nonstop opposition to the cowardice shown by Thomas Cashman".

He said the condemnation has been welcomed by Merseyside Police, adding that it meant Cashman "won't beryllium retired until he's a precise aged man".

Commenting connected Cashman's refusal to participate the dock, a Ministry of Justice root said Olivia and her household "weren't capable to fell from Thomas Cashman's crime, truthful helium shouldn't beryllium capable to fell from justice".

"This is precisely wherefore the Deputy Prime Minister [Dominic Raab] is committed to changing the instrumentality truthful that offenders are forced to look the consequences of their actions," they said.