Who is Joseph Nee? Olivia Pratt Korbel's killer Thomas Cashman's original target

Joseph Nee had a reputation as a career criminal around his local Dovecot area, but few would have expected the events of August 22 2022. In the mind of gangland assassin Thomas Cashman, Nee was supposed to die that night.

However, instead of Nee, Cashman murdered schoolgirl Olivia Pratt-Korbel when she ended up in his firing line following his horrific mission. As Cashman stood over a bleeding Nee, who begged him "Please lad, don't", his 9mm Glock self-loading pistol seemingly jammed giving the then 35-year-old a chance to scramble to his feet and escape.

However, Cashman's bullets had penetrated the front door of Olivia's house, with one passing through the hand of her mum Cheryl before hitting the nine-year-old girl. She died soon after in hospital of her injuries. Cashman's murderous intentions and the tragic consequences form part of a new documentary on Channel 4 called Merseyside Detectives.

The programme follows Merseyside Police's investigations into the high-profile murders of both Olivia and Ashley Dale - a 28-year-old council worker who was shot dead in a bungled assassination attempt. Both victims died in the same horrific week in August two years ago.

Part of the documentary follows the police investigations into murderous villain Cashman to try and understand why he targeted Nee. An ECHO exclusive following the conviction of Cashman, who was jailed for 42 years for Olivia's murder in March 2023, showed Nee had been the target of two previous assassination attempts.

But who was Joseph Nee? As a younger man, Nee was involved in a notorious criminal group that flooded the streets of Kensington with crack and heroin. According to ECHO reports from 2009, Nee was a “trusted foot-soldier” in an organisation that was “dripping in materialism”, spending the money on luxury flats, plasma screen TVs, high-end cars and wardrobes full of designer gear.

The gang was led by known hardman Brian “Big Show” Siner, who received a 14-year sentence at Liverpool Crown Court. Nee, then 23, was sentenced to six and a half years in prison for drug supply offences. He was jailed for a year in 2011 for perverting the course of justice in relation to a gang of violent burglars, including his brother, Jason Nee, who threatened victims in their own home with weapons.

In 2018, Nee was jailed again for 45 months for burglary and dangerous driving, after leading Cheshire Police on a high-speed chase. It is fair to say Nee’s lifestyle won him few friends. One source who lives in Dovecot and is familiar with both Cashman and Nee told the ECHO locals considered Nee "scum of the earth".

In some ways, Nee, "a man with his enemies", might consider himself unlucky. He is now remembered as the man who, inadvertently, brought death and devastation to the Korbel's family home. But in others, he is astonishingly fortunate. He was shot at in March 2018 by an unknown assailant.

Then, on August 8, two weeks before Olivia's death, a gunman fired at him using the same model of gun he was shot with on the night of the 22nd. Merseyside Police previously said they have not ruled Cashman out of being the shooter on that occasion, although he has not been charged.

However, during the trial of Cashman at Manchester Crown Court, the jury did not hear any evidence from Nee about why he was targeted. Nor did the jury hear any evidence of what motivated Cashman to take out his fellow drug dealer.

Speaking previously to the ECHO, Merseyside Police said while they have received intelligence any theory would be “speculation”, and, in the words of Detective Chief Superintendent Mark Baker, who features on Merseyside Detectives, "we may never know" for sure. Cashman himself tried to claim he was "friends" with the Nee family. He told the jury: "No, I never had problems with the Nee family ever."

What is not in dispute, however, is Nee’s propensity for making dangerous enemies. The jury was told “he had his enemies”, and as Professor John Cooper, KC, defending Cashman, said in his closing speech “there were others who wanted him dead”.

But more came out in the absence of the jury. Mr Cooper submitted an application to the court to admit information from Merseyside Police intelligence logs as evidence. He also applied for sections of Nee’s statement to be admitted, without Nee being called as a witness.

We heard that police were told Nee was considered “a rat” who “generally made enemies”. We also heard of a “feud” between the Nee family and the Hickman family, which contains several hardened criminals who are serving or who have served long prison sentences.

In a ruling delivered on the application, we heard how: “Material further supporting a feud between the Hickmans and the Nees, including details of a fight between Paul Hickman and Jason Nee (Joseph’s brother) in prison and a so-called straightener between Joseph Nee and Lee Hickman in a public house.”

The thrust of Mr Cooper’s application was to suggest that there were alternative suspects in the mix for Oliva’s killing, and he suggested to trial judge Mrs Justice Yip the defence should be able to argue that the police had prematurely “closed their minds” to the possibility of others being the gunman. But as Justice Yip ruled, the reality was that those names had been thoroughly checked out and their alibis held up to scrutiny.

Nee himself told police he did not know who shot him. He did mention his “little argument” with Lee Hickman and spoke of others he had fallen out with, at one stage saying “It could have been anyone”. But Justice Yip ruled: “Mr Nee has given varying accounts at different times. At no stage has he positively asserted that he knows who shot him...

"The statements made by Joseph Nee about the possible involvement of others are vague and speculative. They do not provide any evidence that someone other than the defendant was the gunman. In the circumstances, the evidence of things said by Joseph Nee does not have any real probative value.”

Following Olivia's murder, Nee was recalled to prison for breaching the conditions of his licence following his conviction for burglary and other offences in 2018. He was subsequently released in May last year. He was also imposed with a gang injunction upon his release, which saw him imposed with strict rules or face arrest.

The rules included not associating or communicating with certain people, not having more than one phone and sim card and not threatening violence against any person or property. Nee was back before the courts however in March this year where he received a fine after police found a bag of cannabis hidden in his underwear.

The defendant, who was shot in the midriff by Cashman, asked the judge if he could stand at one point during the hearing, saying he had "pains". Following his fine, he was told by Judge Louise Brandon: "I would keep your nose clean if I were you."

Nee has served long stretches in prison, been the target of at least three assassination or wounding attempts involving guns and has a lamentable reputation in his community. The real tragedy is that Olivia had to pay the price for the enemies he made.

Merseyside Detectives: The Murders of Ashley and Olivia begins tonight at 9pm on Channel 4 and All 4