People lined the street as Olivia Pratt-Korbel’s coffin arrived at the St Margaret Mary’s Church in Knotty Ash, Liverpool in a horse-drawn carriage this morning. The white coffin, with butterflies on the side, was topped with lilies and unicorn and teddy bear shaped floral tributes were placed alongside it in the white carriage.
A hearse with floral tributes saying “daughter” and “Liv” arrived at the church shortly before the carriage. Olivia’s mother Cheryl Korbel carried a pink teddy, and stood to give the euology for her daughter - killed in a shooting earlier this month.
Cheryl Korbel told those at the church Olivia had been born six weeks early and spent nine days in a special baby unit. She said: “She was so small yet even as a newborn she had her own mind.”
She said Olivia was independent and even as a toddler would choose her own clothes. She said: “Although she loved sparkle and glitz she would never go overboard and she was very particular, even down to her socks.”
She added: “Olivia was very chatty and bubbly and would talk for England, to the point we thought she had Duracell batteries inside her somewhere.”
Mrs Korbel said: “Olivia loved to sing and dance. She’d always be singing along to songs she enjoyed, especially when we would be driving in the car and she would always be in charge of the CD player.”
She said Olivia had a great imagination and would mimic her family.
She said: “Olivia knew exactly how to wrap people around her little finger to get what she wanted, especially her brother Ryan and sister Chloe.
“She would often give them a cheeky smile and they would give in instantly.”
She said Olivia loved animals and would put the family dog Gizmo in a pram.
She added: “She would have made a great lawyer as she had an answer for everything.”
Mrs Korbel said: “Liv touched so many people’s hearts and was loved and adored by everyone.
“She will never be forgotten.
“I will never say goodbye but what I will say is goodnight, love you, see you in the morning.”
In his homily, Archbishop Malcolm McMahon said: “In St Paul’s words let us comfort one another with words of faith – faith in each other, faith in God and faith in the belief that Olivia’s untimely death will lead to a community here in Liverpool without violence, that it will become a place of peace and justice.”
Police are continuing to hunt or the gunman who chased convicted burglar Joseph Nee into Olivia’s family home at about 10pm on August 22.
Olivia died from a gunshot wound to her chest and her mother Cheryl Korbel, 46, was injured.
On Wednesday, founder of charity Crimestoppers Lord Ashcroft offered a £50,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of those responsible for her death.
