Today the ECHO is calling on the government to act now to stop cowardly killers like the man who murdered Olivia Pratt-Korbel from cowering in their cells rather than facing the life sentences they deserve.
Last week Thomas Cashman was jailed for 42 years for the murder of nine-year-old Olivia. It was a crime that shocked our city, our region and the nation.
For weeks, Olivia’s dignified family sat and watched in court as Cashman shamefully tried to lie his way out of taking responsibility for the horrific pain he inflicted upon them. The jury was not taken in, and the 34-year-old killer will spend the most of the rest of his life in prison.
But following the guilty verdicts in the case, Cashman was able to inflict one more painful blow on Olivia’s family. As they bravely prepared to face him one final time for his sentencing, as they readied themselves to tell him exactly how much he has taken from them, news arrived he would not appear in court.
READ MORE: Mum-of-four who 'lived for her kids' dies suddenly at home
The cowardly killer was able to hide away in his cell and refuse to face Olivia’s family as his sentence was delivered in court. His outrageous actions have exposed a legal loophole that allows criminals to evade a crucial part of the justice process and inflict more suffering on those they have wronged.
Today the ECHO is calling on the government to stop dragging its feet and swiftly bring in a change in the law that will force killers like Cashman to appear in the dock and face the consequences of the horror they have caused.
Olivia’s brave mum Cheryl Korbel doesn’t want others to face the same injustice that she and her family suffered as Cashman hid away from facing them at his sentencing hearing.
Speaking with our sister paper, the Sunday Mirror, she said: “I’d support a law that would force criminals to show up for sentencing.
“We were dragged right through that court case when we didn’t need to be. If he’d owned it from the beginning, we wouldn’t have had to be there. He was in that dock right through the trial and on the last day he said ‘I’m not going up’. It’s not fair.
“Why should we go through all that and then he gets the option of not being there? It’s like a kick in the teeth. He’s just a coward – and that’s being polite. I’ve got some slight comfort from him being behind bars. But he’s still got a roof over his head, three square meals, access to gyms and this, that and the other.”
The Labour Party has already been firm in its calls for a change in the law that will mean criminals can no longer hide from their victims and their families.
The party has vowed to give judges the option to force defendants to attend sentencing hearings and has suggested that those who hide away - like Cashman - could be punished as contempt of court.
Today Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer gave his firm backing to the ECHO’s campaign for a change in the law in Olivia’s memory.
He said: “The unimaginable agony that Olivia’s family now carry can’t be erased. But we can honour Olivia’s memory, and her family’s courage, by establishing a change in the law.
“While the family bravely went to court for Olivia, and for justice, her killer was allowed to hide away. Refusing to face his punishment, he cowardly whimpered away in a cell.
“That this has been allowed is a shameful gap in the system and one I’m determined to see closed.
“As Director of Public Prosecutions I saw the importance of victims and their families being able to face their perpetrators. It brings an element of closure, and gives victims of crime confidence that if they come forward the system will work wholly and fairly for them. Victims must be at the heart of our justice system.
“For Olivia, her mum, her family, and for all victims, who deserve nothing less than full justice, I stand squarely behind the Echo’s campaign for a change in the law.”
Ian Byrne is the Member of Parliament for Liverpool West Derby where Olivia’s family live. He said he will work with the ECHO and others to campaign for a change in the law.
Mr Byrne said: “Legislation to compel criminals to attend court for their sentencing is a positive step. I have written to both the Government and the Labour Party last week on this issue and I am pleased that the Labour Party has committed to backing this campaign.
“Whilst nothing can bring back nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel, who was so brutally taken from her loved ones last August, legislative change of this nature could make a lasting impact.
“I will work closely with Cheryl and Olivia’s family to decide if the campaign for new legislation should carry Olivia’s name and they have my full support whatever they decide.”
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Mum-of-four who 'lived for her kids' dies suddenly at home
