Olivia's mum said it was like 'time had stood still' when she returned to her home after the murder of her nine-year-old daughter.
Thomas Cashman was today sentenced to life with a minimum prison term of 42 years for the murder of Olivia Pratt-Korbel. Cheryl Korbel read out her victim impact statement and described the scene of returning to their home after the murder.
She said: "Setting my alarm at 7.30 in the morning is something ingrained in me. The day goes by in a blur. It gets to half 2 and I think about the school pickup, something I will never do again.
READ MORE: Thomas Cashman jailed for life with minimum term of 42 years for Olivia's murder
"She will always be my baby. Teatime is a big thing for me. It was so centred around her and what she wanted for tea. Everything I do is a constant reminder she is not there with me.
"This happened in our home where we should have been safe. We have no choice to leave Liv’s first and only home.
"When were allowed back it was utter heartbreak. It was as though time had stood still. The cups of tea on the table next to her Princess Trust form. One of her dolls lay on the floor.
"In that moment, I was home. We were back to how our lives were before that night. I soaked up the surroundings until reality dawned and brought me back to our living nightmare."
The mum also added how it has been utterly heartbreaking to leave and pack up their home.
She read in court: “Packing up our home was horrendous. Packing clothes, her toys, packing my baby’s things into a box. No mother should ever have to do that.
“We left our friends, our neighbours.
“It’s so hard to go back to the area I grew up in and raised my children.
“The smallest things remind me of Liv, her friends playing in the street. It’s hard to accept she is no longer here.
“Moving into the new house was difficult for us. Not having her favourite food in the fridge.
“The night I realised Liv had been shot, I was not able to do CPR properly because of my injury. I did not have full use of my hand and I felt helpless. My neighbour tried all he could to save my baby. My worst nightmare was being separated from Liv and not being there when she needed me most.
“I cannot get my head around how Cashman continued to shoot after hearing the terrifying screams.
“The utter devastation he has caused, he doesn’t care. How could he?”
Cashman, 34-year-old, of Grenadier Drive in West Derby, was unanimously found guilty of murdering the nine-year-old schoolgirl by a jury on Thursday last week. She was shot dead in her own home on Kingsheath Avenue in Dovecot in one of the most horrific crimes in Merseyside's history.
Cashman was due to return to court to be sentenced this afternoon, Monday, but did not appear in the dock to learn his fate. Professor John Cooper KC, defending, said that his client was "concerned that the matter was turning into a circus" and claimed that he had heard representatives of the Crown Prosecution Service "loudly" singing 'We are the Champions' after the verdict was delivered.
Justice Amanda Yip described his actions as "disrespectful to the family of the deceased".
Gasps were heard among Olivia's family as the sentence was passed with one man was heard to say "yes", while her mum Cheryl was seen dabbing her eyes with a tissue.
Sentencing, Justice Amanda Yip said: "The killing of Olivia Pratt-Korbel was an offence that shocked the nation. Olivia’s name is likely to be remembered for many years, but her name should not only be remembered for her terrible last moments.
"Her family have spoken of Olivia in life, and of the hopes and dreams for her future so cruelly snatched away. It is plain that Olivia was a lovely little girl who brightened the lives of her family and friends - they have suffered an unimaginable loss they must carry for the rest of their lives."
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