A self-confessed drug dealer has been convicted of the murder of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel at her home in Liverpool last August.
Thomas Cashman, 34, was found guilty of murder, attempted murder, wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm to Olivia’s mother and two charges of possession of firearms by a jury at Manchester Crown Court.
Olivia died after Cashman fired shots into the family’s home in Dovecot, Liverpool, on 22 August 2022, during what prosecutors described as a “ruthless pursuit” to execute another man.
Her death sent a shockwave throughout the community and across the country and a sense of horror that gun violence could spill into a family home.
Olivia’s mother Cheryl Korbel, holding a teddy bear, sat with her children in the court. There were gasps and tears from Olivia’s family as the verdicts were returned.
The judge confirmed that sentencing will take place on Monday 3 April.
After the verdict, Merseyside’s chief constable Serena Kennedy described Cashman as a “coward”.
She said: “He’s despicable. He made great play in the trial that he’s a dad and yet he’s put Olivia’s family through this trial. I hope he reflects every morning when he wakes up behind bars and every night when he goes to sleep about what he’s put Olivia’s family through.”
Paul Russell, 41, pleaded guilty to assisting an offender at Liverpool Crown Court last October. The media were prevented from reporting his plea until the conclusion of Cashman’s trial.
He is also said to have disposed of a bag given to him by Cashman, which he believed to contain clothing.
At 7pm Sky News will broadcast a special programme: The murder of Olivia Pratt-Korbel
‘Murder in mind’
In Cashman’s trial, the jury was told he had spent the day of Olivia’s killing “scoping out” his intended target, a convicted burglar called Joseph Nee. The prosecution said he had “murder in mind”.
The jury was shown security camera footage of the moment Cashman fired multiple shots at Nee in the street outside of Olivia’s home.
After hearing the disturbance, her mother Ms Korbel had opened the front door and Nee took the opportunity to force his way inside to escape the gunman.
The court heard that Olivia had come down the stairs saying: “Mummy, I’m scared”.
The gunman continued firing into the family home, with one bullet striking Ms Korbel in the hand before hitting Olivia in the chest. She was pronounced dead in hospital.
Detective Superintendent Mark Baker, the senior investigating officer in the case, told Sky News: “The circumstances around it were just abhorrent. She was cowering behind her mum because she was scared in her own home.
“You always feel you’re safe in your own house. I think, as an investigation team, we could not believe that the gunman would continue to shoot into the house. I don’t think we’ve ever seen anything like that before.
“The community have been disgusted by his actions. They’ve been in fear of him for a long, long time. He will know himself and will have to carry that responsibility.”
The jury was also shown a video of the police interview with Ms Korbel in which she recounted what happened that night and described the moment she knew Olivia “had gone”.
A key witness in the trial, a woman with whom Cashman had had a sexual relationship, told the jury that she was woken by him in her bedroom shortly after the shooting asking for a change of clothes. She said she also heard him say he had “done Joey”.
Police praised the bravery of the witness, who cannot be named for legal reasons, for her “powerful and emotional” evidence.
‘I’m a dad, I’m not a killer’
Cashman had denied he was the gunman that night and told police “you’ve got an innocent man” when he was arrested a month later.
Giving evidence to the jury, he said he had been going about his business as a drug dealer at the time of the shooting. “I’m a dad, I’m not a killer,” he told the jury.
The two firearms used by the gunman on the night in August last year have not been recovered and the investigation into Olivia’s death continues.
Police have vowed to continue to remove guns and drugs from the street. “Olivia’s death should not have been in vain,” said Det Supt Baker.
Maria Corr, a senior crown prosecutor with the CPS Mersey-Cheshire complex casework unit, told Sky News: “We’re only a small wheel in the cog here, nothing will bring Olivia back, this is just for the family, some sense of justice, the person who ruined their lives, we’ve now got justice for them.”
At the time of her death, Olivia’s family described her as “unique, chatty, nosey little girl who broke the mould when she was born”. They added: “She loved life and all it had to offer.
“Although her life was short, her personality certainly wasn’t and she lived it to the most she could, and would blow people away with her wit and kindness.”
London Ambulance Service said they treated five people at the scene and took them to hospital – including the 14-year-old boy.
In an update this afternoon, Chief Superintendent Stuart Bell, who leads local policing, confirmed the teenage boy had died.
He said: “He was taken to hospital after being stabbed and sadly died a short while after.
“The child’s family are being supported firstly by my local officers and now with some specialist officers and everyone across the Met is keeping them in our thoughts at this unimaginably difficult time.”
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Chief superintendent Stuart Bell giving his update
He also confirmed two other members of the public were in hospital with injuries believed to be not life-threatening.
Along with them, two officers received “significant” but not life-threatening injuries and will undergo surgery, the police chief said.
Officers arrested the man 22 minutes after the first call went into emergency services.
Eyewitnesses described hearing shrieking and seeing someone receive CPR at the scene.
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Video showed a man wielding a large sword outside a number of residential properties.
Police added they did not think it was a targeted attack, or terror-related, and they were working to establish the circumstances of what took place.
As the press conference ended this afternoon Ch Supt Stuart Bell refused to respond to questions over whether the suspect had been previously arrested.
Chris Bates told Sky News he saw police apprehend a suspect wielding a “big samurai sword”.
He said that, after confronting the suspect, police screamed at them to drop the sword, before they Tasered him, and “piled on top of him”, arresting him.
Another local resident said she saw a body on the ground as she hid by her window, while a sword-wielding man shouted “do you believe in God?” outside her home.
The witness, who didn’t want to be named, said: “He was wielding his sword trying to attack the police but then they sprayed him and he ran away.
“He was shouting at the police ‘do you believe in God?’, also at the ambulance.
“We were very scared and trying to hide and not show ourselves through the window, because he was standing right next to our house and he could have seen us if he looked up.
“We were trying to hide but also at the same time taking video of him attacking the police, and of the body on the floor, so, yeah, we were very scared and we didn’t know what to do.”
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The King has asked to be kept informed of the incident and has sent his thoughts to those affected.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “Following the horrific scenes in Hainault this morning, the King has asked to be kept fully informed as details of the incident become clearer.
“His thoughts and prayers are with all those affected – in particular, the family of the young victim who has lost his life – and he salutes the courage of the emergency services who helped contain the situation.”
Politicians were quick to offer their condolences after news emerged of the attack.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “This is a shocking incident. My thoughts are with those affected and their families.
“I’d like to thank the emergency services for their ongoing response, and pay tribute to the extraordinary bravery shown by police on the scene. Such violence has no place on our streets.”
Local MP, and Labour shadow minister, Wes Streeting said the whole community was “devastated” by news of the attack but “deserved answers”.
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Mayor of London Sadiq Khan praised the “everyday bravery” of the police officers who ran towards the sword-wielding man.
He added: “This attack is devastating and appalling. I’m sure I speak on behalf of the entire city when I say my thoughts and prayers are with this young child and his family.”
The King has said he is feeling “much better” as he returned to public duties for the first time since his cancer diagnosis.
On his visit with the Queen to a Macmillan Cancer Centre in London, the King held hands with cancer patients.
He was also announced as patron of Cancer Research UK, and takes over the role from his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth.
The King, who is also patron of Macmillan Cancer Support, replied “much better, thanks” when Sky News asked how he was feeling.
It was his first public outing since doctors told him to avoid public-facing duties while having cancer treatment.
On Friday, the Palace said he was “greatly encouraged” to be given the green light to return to some public-facing duties.
However, sources stressed the King still has cancer and will continue to be treated for an undisclosed form of the disease.
It is hoped his visit will draw attention to the importance of early diagnosis, as well as innovative treatments and research at the hospital supported by Cancer Research UK.
The King also met the team behind a project called TRACERx, the single biggest investment in lung cancer research by Cancer Research UK.
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It aims to investigate how lung cancer evolves and why treatments sometimes stop working.
The royals also gave presents to children on their way out – and received some flowers in return.
The King announced he had cancer at the beginning of February.
Since then, charities have praised his openness and the impact it has had on raising awareness, along with the Princess of Wales talking about her own diagnosis.
Ahead of the visit today, a Palace spokesperson said: “His Majesty’s treatment programme will continue, but doctors are sufficiently pleased with the progress made so far that the King is now able to resume a number of public-facing duties.”
They added: “Forthcoming engagements will be adapted where necessary to minimise any risks to His Majesty’s continued recovery.”
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At Easter, he made a point of greeting crowds at St George’s Chapel in Windsor – seen as a hint that more public-facing engagements could soon follow.
Palace officials continue to plan for a busy summer and autumn but will work around the caveat that plans might need to change depending on the King’s health and doctors’ advice.
Rishi Sunak has backed calls for a student who was stabbed to death while trying to save to her friend to be awarded a posthumous George Cross.
Grace O’Malley-Kumar, 19, fought Valdo Calocanewhen he attacked fellow studentBarnaby Webber as they returned from a night out celebrating the end of exams last June.
During Calocane’s trial, prosecutor Karim Khalil KC said Ms O’Malley-Kumar had shown “incredible bravery” by trying to protect Mr Webber from Calocane’s blows and tried to fight him off, pushing him away and into the road.
The killer then turned his attention to her and was “as uncompromisingly brutal in his assault of Grace as he was in his assault of Barnaby”, Mr Khalil said.
Ms O’Malley-Kumar’s parents today called for her to be awarded the George Cross, an award recognising “the greatest heroism or of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme danger”.
And Downing Street has now weighed in – saying the prime minister “would certainly” back the family’s campaign and “pay tribute to the bravery that Grace demonstrated whilst faced with perilous and terrifying circumstances”.
Mr Sunak’s spokesman noted that “decisions around the George Cross are made by an independent committee to review, and final decisions are then made by His Majesty the King”.
“But of course, the prime minister would support those nominations,” he added. “The leadership example [Grace] provided in that tragic circumstance was commendable and absolutely the PM would get behind that campaign.”
Ms O’Malley-Kumar was a first-year medical student who played for the England under-18s hockey team.
Her mum Sinead O’Malley said in an interview with The Sun: “The George Cross would be a remarkable acknowledgement of her bravery, for sure.
“Grace is never coming back to us, but we never want her to be forgotten, and this would certainly make sure she is remembered forever.”
Her father Dr Sanjoy Kumar said the award “would be an example to every other young person”, as her brother James hailed her a “hero”.
Tory MP Marco Longhi, who sits on the Home Affairs select committee, said Ms O’Malley-Kumar deserved the medal as she “showed selfless bravery”.
David Morris, another Conservative MP, also called for her to be given the “ultimate honour”.
Her brother James, 17, had said in aprevious interview with Sky News: “Grace’s last moments were in pain and that’s something that really hurts me to think about and she was a hero, that was her character.”
He added: “She tried her best to save her friend. That was how Grace lost her life in the most vulnerable manner.
“She would never leave a friend, never, and that was very evident from her last moments. She passed fighting.”
James described his sister’s death as a “loss to the country” as he pointed to her riding a Vespa to a clinic to vaccinate hundreds of people during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as her aspirations of serving as a medic in the armed forces.