Yahoo News Thomas Cashman: How long was Olivia Pratt-Korbel's killer jailed for?
Cashman shot Olivia dead after chasing a drug dealer into the Liverpool schoolgirl's home
Thomas Cashman, the killer of nine-year-old Liverpool schoolgirl Olivia Pratt-Korbel, has been jailed for a minimum term of 42 years.
Cashman, 34, refused to appear in the dock at Manchester Crown Court on Monday after a jury found him guilty last week of murdering the schoolgirl in her home in Dovecot, Liverpool, on August 22 last year.
Olivia’s mother, Cheryl Korbel, 46, took a teddy made from her daughter’s pyjamas into the witness box with her as she told the court: “I cannot get my head around how Cashman continued to shoot after hearing the terrified screams and utter devastation he had caused."
Watch: Olivia Pratt-Korbel’s ‘cowardly’ killer jailed for life
Olivia was shot dead by Cashman as he chased a drug dealer into her home in the Dovecot area of the city.
Cashman was also found guilty of the attempted murder of convicted drug dealer Joseph Nee and two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.
Cashman did not appear in the dock to be sentenced on Monday and Mrs Justice Yip said he would be sentenced in his absence.
His barrister, John Cooper KC said Cashman would not appear because he claimed the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) were singing "We Are The Champions" after he was convicted.
Mr Cooper said: “He has been spoken to and been given certain advice but he is concerned that the matter is turning into a circus.”
Mrs Justice Yip said she regarded his lack of attendance as “disrespectful” to not only the court but those interested in proceedings, including the family of the deceased.
She said Cashman had avoided a whole life sentence because he had not intended to kill Olivia.
Thomas Cashman sentencing: Latest updates
'Cowardly’ killer who refused to face sentence jailed for life (Evening Standard)
'I miss my baby sister': Read Olivia Pratt-Korbel's family statements (Telegraph)
Olivia Pratt-Korbel killer refuses to show up to court for sentencing (Independent)
Gangsters 'place £250,000 bounty on Thomas Cashman to silence him in prison' (Telegraph)
Who is Thomas Cashman?
Thomas Cashman, 34, a father-of-two from West Derby in Liverpool, has been convicted of the murder of Olivia Pratt-Korbel.
During his 19-day trial at Manchester Crown Court, the jury heard Cashman had operated as a "high-level" cannabis dealer in the area.
Watch: Man found guilty of murdering nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel
The court heard he had been “scoping out” Nee, his intended target, on the day of the shooting and lay in wait for him, armed with two guns, as he watched a football match at the house of a friend.
Footage played to the jury showed the gunman, wearing tracksuit bottoms which matched a pair worn by Cashman, chasing Nee up Kingsheath Avenue and firing three shots.
How did Thomas Cashman kill Olivia Pratt-Korbel?
The court heard Olivia ran downstairs after hearing shots outside, saying “I’m scared mummy, I’m scared”.
The court heard Nee ran towards the open door of Olivia’s family home, after Ms Korbel came out to see what the noise was, and the fatal shot was fired through the front door.
It hit Ms Korbel in the wrist as she tried to shut the door and struck Olivia in the chest. The nine-year-old was later pronounced dead at Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool.
Cashman had claimed that around the time of the shooting he had been at a friend’s house where he counted £10,000 in cash and smoked a spliff.
He told the court: “I’m not a killer, I’m a dad.”
But a woman who had a relationship with Cashman told the court he came to her house after the shooting, where he changed his clothes and she heard him say he had “done Joey”.
Merseyside Police senior investigating officer Detective Superintendent Mark Baker said: “When he (Cashman) found out that he had shot an innocent young girl, he should have had the courage to stand up and come forward.
“Instead, he chose to lie low despite the fact that he was a dad himself.
“He is not worthy of walking the streets of Merseyside, and neither are those who think they can bring fear or intimidation to our communities through use of firearms.”
