Footage of the manhunt for the gunman who killed Olivia Pratt-Korbel will air as part of a true crime documentary.
The nine-year-old died when Thomas Cashman fired a shot into her Dovecot home as he “ruthlessly pursued” convicted drug dealer Joseph Nee. Cowardly Cashman, 34, was jailed for 42 years at Manchester Crown Court for Olivia's murder and sparked outrage when he refused to turn up for the sentencing and face the girl's family.
On the evening of August 22 last year Cashman lay in wait for Nee on Kingsheath Avenue. At around 10pm he opened fire on Nee with a Glock self-loading pistol and shot him three times, but was foiled in his execution attempt when the gun "malfunctioned". However Cashman had brought a back-up weapon, a revolver, and pursued Nee as he ran for his life.
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Tragically, Nee barged into the home of Olivia's mum, Cheryl Korbel, in a desperate bid to escape after she stepped outside to see what was going on. Cashman, despite knowing Cheryl was in harm's way, blindly fired a shot through the front door, hitting Cheryl in the wrist and Olivia in the chest.
The murder rocked the small Dovecot community.
Now, footage of the search for Cashman will feature in a Channel 4 series following Merseyside’s Major Crime Unit as it investigates a number of high-profile gun murders in the city The Sunday Mirror reports. A source said: “Channel 4 were filming with Merseyside Police last year when Olivia was killed on her doorstep and they had full access during their hunt for Cashman.”
The programme is being made by Liverpool-based LA Productions, behind many of Cracker screenwriter Jimmy McGovern’s dramas – such as Broken, starring Sean Bean. The TV source added: “It’s all very raw and will make for heartbreaking viewing.”
A record reward of up to £200,000 had been offered during the month-long manhunt to catch Cashman, who had 18 previous convictions. Cheryl is calling for a new law, backed by Labour Leader Keir Starmer, forcing killers to show up in court after Cash-man refused to appear for sentencing. And she last month told us of a plan for a memorial garden to Olivia as she said: “I want violence to stop.”
Channel 4 said: “LA Productions/Channel 4 have been filming with Merseyside Police since 2021 for an observational documentary series that will feature a range of cases. “We’re not in a position to talk about any specific cases as they are ongoing and some are not resolved.”
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