Gangsters 'place £250,000 bounty on Thomas Cashman to silence him in prison'

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, will be sentenced at 2pm on Monday. He 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.