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Re: Murderer of Olivia Pratt-Korbel Jailed For 42 Years
Olivia Pratt-Korbel: Thomas Cashman Given Mandatory Life Sentence
Thomas Cashman, 34, has been jailed for 42 years for the murder of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel in Liverpool.
BBC 3 APR 2023
He refused to appear in the dock at Manchester Crown Court - he told his barrister the case was "turning into a circus".
Ms Korbel told the court life was "so very quiet" without her daughter, adding: "I just can't cope with the silence."
The man who murdered nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel has been jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum of 42 years in prison.
Thomas Cashman, 34, refused to go into the dock for the sentencing and none of his family were present in court.
He fatally shot Olivia and injured her mother Cheryl Korbel as he chased a fellow drug dealer into their Liverpool home on the evening of 22 August 2022.
The judge said his failure to appear was "disrespectful" to Olivia's family.
John Cooper KC, defending, said Cashman had not attended the hearing as he claimed the Crown Prosecution Service were singing "we are the champions" following his conviction.
He said Cashman was concerned proceedings were "turning into a circus".
Sentencing him in absentia at Manchester Crown Court, Mrs Justice Amanda Yip said drug dealer Cashman was "not of previous good character", had made it clear he was a criminal and had "demonstrated no remorse".
"His failure to come into court is further evidence of that," she said.
Thomas Cashman was convicted following a trial, which lasted more than three weeks
She said Cashman "relentlessly pursued" Joseph Nee into Olivia's home, where the schoolgirl had left her bed after hearing the commotion.
"She came downstairs to seek the comfort of her mother," she said.
"Her last words were 'Mum, I'm scared'.
"In a terrible twist of fate, she had stepped directly into the line of fire."
The judge said she had considered handing down a whole-life order, meaning Cashman would never be released from prison, but had decided it was not merited because the planning and premeditation in his attack was not directed at Olivia.
She also praised the bravery of a woman who gave evidence against Cashman, who was granted lifetime anonymity.
Earlier in the hearing, Ms Korbel was in tears as she clutched a teddy bear made from her daughter's pyjamas while giving her victim impact statement in the witness box.
"I cannot get my head around how Cashman continued to shoot after hearing the terrified screams and utter devastation he had caused," she said.
"He doesn't care.
"His actions have left the biggest hole in our lives."
Olivia Pratt-Korbel's mother: "Justice has prevailed and I cannot begin to express our relief"
She said she spent every afternoon thinking about the end of the school day and her "sassy, chatty girl who everyone adored" adding: "My mind keeps telling me that I've forgotten to pick her up from school."
She added that Olivia's grandmother had died on Sunday night, but had thankfully "lived long enough to see that coward found guilty".
Olivia's father John Pratt told the court he was "heartbroken" and had "nightmares about how she died [that] won't go away".
Speaking directly to the absent Cashman, he said: "You have denied my beautiful girl Olivia her future.
"I will never see her on her wedding day, and walk her down the aisle... and see her grow into the beautiful woman she was destined to become.
"We have been robbed of her future. Because of you, she will be forever nine."
Olivia Pratt-Korbel: 'Everyone Adored Her' - Mother's Tribute
Gangsters Place £250,000Bounty on Thomas Cashman to Silence Him in Prison
Olivia Pratt-Korbel's killer could be targeted over fears he will hand over information on unsolved murders
The killer of Olivia Pratt-Korbel has had a £250,000 bounty placed on his head by gangland criminals to silence him in prison, it has been reported.
Thomas Cashman, who will be sentenced for killing the nine-year-old girl in Liverpool on Monday, has been made the target of a hit over fears he could cooperate with police following his murder conviction, according to The Sun.
The newspaper reported Cashman, 34, could be willing to hand over information on unsolved murders in exchange for better conditions during his sentence.
The bounty has been reportedly sent to criminals and prisoners via Telegram. "He knows everything about everyone. The figure is £250,000 to kill him," a source told The Sun.
"His knowledge and testimony could cause a world of pain for some very big criminals who do not want their activities being looked at."
Cashman, who has reportedly been linked to two further unsolved murders in Merseyside, will be sentenced for Olivia's murder on Monday at Manchester Crown Court.
It has since emerged the 34-year-old is suspected of being connected to the killing of Nicky Ayers, shot in 2010, and Karl Bradley, who was found dead in a back garden in 2013, just a few minutes’ walk from Olivia’s home.
Mr Ayers, 46, was shot dead on South Cantril Avenue, West Derby, on April 29 2010.
Three years later on the morning of March 22 2013, Mr Bradley's body was found in the back garden of a house on Penshaw Close, West Derby.
Police believe Mr Bradley, 31, was shot dead on the night of March 21.
Both murders have been subject to regular appeals for information from Merseyside Police although the investigations remain unsolved.
A local source claimed that Cashman had previously travelled abroad to Spain after committing serious crimes.
When asked whether Cashman would be investigated as being involved in either of the deaths, Merseyside Police said it “would not be appropriate” to comment on unsolved murders.
A spokesman added: “However, Merseyside Police’s Serious Case Review Unit regularly review unsolved homicides to identify new information or opportunities that may assist the investigation in identifying those responsible.”
Cashman, 34, was found guilty following an 18 day trial of the murder of Olivia, the attempted murder of his intended target Joseph Nee, and the wounding with intent of Cheryl Korbel.
He was also found guilty of two counts of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.
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