Gunman Thomas Cashman who shot dead Olivia Pratt-Korbel, 9, jailed for at least 42 years
The man who shot and killed Liverpool schoolgirl Olivia Pratt-Korbel has been sentenced to life with a minimum of 42 years for her murder.
Gunman Thomas Cashman, 34, fired shots into the nine-year-old’s family home in Dovecot, Liverpool, on 22 August 2022, during what prosecutors described as a “ruthless pursuit” to execute another man.
He was found guilty of Olivia’s murder last week, and the wounding with intent of her mother, Cheryl Korbel.
A jury also found him guilty of the attempted murder of Joseph Nee, a convicted drug dealer who he had chased into Olivia‘s home before opening fire, and two counts of possession of a firearm.
Cashman was not in court for the sentencing. His lawyer John Cooper KC said he did not attend because he was aware the CPS were singing We Are The Champions following the verdict in the 19-day trial.
Thomas Cashman
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.”
The judge, 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.
Also in court, Olivia’s mother, Cheryl Korbel, read out an impact statement in which she said her daughter was “loved by everyone” and “never stopped talking”.
Ms Korbel cried as she explained Olivia was due to have her hair cut to donate it to sick children but was killed just five days before the appointment.
“I just miss hearing her voice… I would give anything in the world to have her chatting to me,” she said.
Ms Korbel explained that while the trial has been going on, her nan was admitted to hospital – and she died last night.
She said she believed her nan was holding on to hear Cashman being found guilty.
She described Olivia as her “shadow” and ended her statement by saying her family will love her “endlessly”.
Olivia’s teenage sister Chloe Korbel also read out a statement in which she said the nine-year-old “was the best friend I had always wanted”.
“We were so close, as I was not only her big sister but I’d look after her when our mum was working.”
She said the day Olivia was killed was the worst of her life.
“Not only did I lose my baby sister, but I lost my best friend,” she said.
A statement was read on behalf of Olivia’s father, John Pratt, in which he said about Cashman: “I want you to know that you’ve changed my life and my family’s life forever.
“I have nightmares about how she died, and the nightmares won’t go away.”
He added: “I am heartbroken. Sometimes I just want to end it so that I can be with Olivia again.
“You have denied my beautiful girl Olivia her future.”
The convictions came after the trial, during which the court heard Cashman admit to operating as a “high-level” cannabis dealer in the Dovecot area.
Cashman had been “scoping out” Nee on the day of the murder, and lay in wait for him, armed with two guns as he watched a football match at a friend’s house.
In footage played to the jury, the gunman was seen chasing Nee up Kingsheath Avenue and firing three shots.
He then followed his target towards the open door of Olivia’s home, where Ms Korbel had come out to see what the noise was, and fired the fatal shot into the property.
The court heard Olivia had come down the stairs saying: “Mummy, I’m scared.”
The bullet hit Ms Korbel in the wrist as she tried to shut the door and struck Olivia in the chest. She died in hospital.
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Olivia’s mum ‘ecstatic’ outside court
Olivia’s death shocked the city, leading to a desperate police appeal for help to find who was responsible.
Speaking outside court last week, Ms Korbel said she was “ecstatic” at the guilty verdict.
UK drivers are “confused” by the country’s electric car transition, ministers are being warned.
Although most drivers are not hostile towards electric vehicles (EVs), many are confused about what changes are coming and when, according to new research from the AA.
In a survey of more than 14,000 AA members, 7% thought the government was banning the sale of used petrol and diesel cars.
Around a third thought manual EVs exist, despite them all being automatic.
More than one in five said they would never buy an EV.
The government’s plan for increasing the number of electric vehicles being driven in the UK focuses heavily on increasing the supply of the vehicles.
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What you can do to reach net zero
In 2024, at least 22% of new cars and 10% of new vans sold by each manufacturer in the UK had to be zero-emission, which generally means pure electric.
Each year, those percentages will rise, reaching 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans in 2030.
Manufacturers will face fines of £15,000 per vehicle if electric vehicle sales fall short of 28% of total production this year.
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By 2035, all new cars and vans will be required to be fully zero emission, according to the Department for Transport.
Second-hand diesel and petrol cars will still be allowed to be sold after this date, and their fuel will still be available.
There are more EVs – but will people buy them?
In February, 25% of new cars were powered purely by battery and in January, they made up 21% of all new cars registered in the UK.
But despite the growth of electric sales, manufacturers continue to warn that the market will not support the growth required to hit government EV targets, and called for consumer incentives and the extension of tax breaks.
The AA suggested the government’s plan focuses on “supply but does little to encourage demand for EVs”.
It called on ministers to co-ordinate a public awareness campaign alongside the motoring industry which directly targets drivers who doubt the viability of EVs.
“Our message to government is more needs to be done to make EVs accessible for everyone,” said Jakob Pfaudler, AA chief executive.
Which? head of consumer rights Sue Davis said: “When it comes to making sustainable choices such as switching to an electric car, our research shows that people are often held back by high costs, complex choices or uncertainty.
“The government needs to provide the right information on electric vehicles and other sustainable choices so that people have the confidence to switch.”
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “We’re investing over £2.3bn to help industry and consumers make a supported switch to EVs.
“This includes installing a public charge point every 28 minutes, keeping EV incentives in the company car tax regime to 2030, and extending 100% first-year allowances for zero-emission cars for another year.
“Second-hand EVs are also becoming cheaper than ever, with one in three available under £20,000 and 21 brand new models available for less than £30,000.
“We’re seeing growing consumer confidence as a result.”
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