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The Telegraph
The Telegraph
National
Jack Hardy

Olivia Pratt-Korbel: Two men arrested over nine-year-old's murder are released on bail

liverpool shooting Olivia Pratt-Korbel: 36-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder - Dawber Donna Marie
liverpool shooting Olivia Pratt-Korbel: 36-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder - Dawber Donna Marie

Two men arrested on suspicion of murdering a nine-year-old girl in Liverpool have been released on bail, Merseyside Police have said.

A 36-year-old man from Huyton and a 33-year-old man from Dovecot were detained on Friday on suspicion of murdering Olivia Pratt-Korbel and two counts of attempted murder. 

Police said the 36-year-old man has now been recalled to prison after breaching the terms of his licence.    

The schoolgirl was shot dead by a gunman who had opened fire on a man he was chasing - since named as Joseph Nee - as he barged into Olivia's family home in Dovecot. Olivia's mother, Cheryl, was also injured. 

Nee, a 35-year-old convicted drug dealer, was arrested by police in hospital and faces being recalled to prison after breaching the terms of his licence. 

Olivia Pratt-Korbel: Man, 36, arrested on suspicion of murder - pixel GRG
Olivia Pratt-Korbel: Man, 36, arrested on suspicion of murder - pixel GRG

On Saturday the force said it was continuing to appeal for information regarding the attack. 

A statement said: "We are still appealing to anyone who saw a black Audi Q3 car in the days leading up to the shooting, or has any information about its movements after leaving Kingsheath Avenue on the night of the shooting."

The car, which police believe is the same car used to take Nee to hospital, has been seized.

Olivia was shot dead on Monday night by a masked gunman who chased his intended target into her family’s home in Dovecot, also injuring her mother Cheryl, 46.

On Thursday night police wearing balaclavas and armed with machine guns raided a flat on Tarbock Road in Liverpool.

Around 20 officers supported by a police helicopter surrounded the modern apartment building and a short time later were seen leading a man outside and placing him in a van.

The £200,000 apartment is just three miles away from Kingsheath Avenue, where Olivia was killed.

The force said armed officers arrested the 33-year-old man on Lunsford Road, Dovecot, on Friday afternoon.

On Friday, police were still at the scene on Tarbock Road and entered the property with a small ladder before emerging with clear bin bags, apparently filled with clothes.

One woman who lives in the building said: “There were about ten officers who came in. I know the people who live there. The people who live there are a couple I think.

“It was around10.30pm, my dog started barking and I looked out of the window and saw firearms officers.

“They were just entering - they weren’t in normal police clothing and I just saw a gun and shut the curtains.

“I moved in around five years ago, I haven’t seen the couple that many times.”

Another man said he saw a male being led out of the building by the heavily armed officers.

Olivia Pratt-Korbel: Man, 36, arrested on suspicion of murder - Peter Byrne /PA
Olivia Pratt-Korbel: Man, 36, arrested on suspicion of murder - Peter Byrne /PA

He said: “I saw a man being taken away. I don’t really know what he looked like because it was late at night. I couldn’t tell if he was in handcuffs but they walked him out of the building.

“I saw a man being taken away by police, there were a fair few officers, that’s all I saw.”

Another resident, who lives across the road from the apartment, said locals were told to stay inside while the operation was underway.

He said: “We saw around a dozen armed police, all wearing black, with balaclavas and machine guns.

“They closed the road off and waited for a normal police van to come and went into the property.

“Anyone who came outside they told to go back inside. They seemed ok, quite calm. They were there for about half an hour.”

On Thursday Olivia’s family urged the public to help the police catch her killer saying “it is not about being a 'snitch' or a 'grass', it is about finding out who took our baby away from us”.

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