Thomas Cashman has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 42 years for the murder of Olivia Pratt-Korbel.
The 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 refused to 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.
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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 is an offence that shocked not only the city of Liverpool, but the nation. Olivia’s name is likely to be remembered for many years.
"She should not be remembered only for her dreadful last moments. Her family have spoken today of Olivia in life and of the hopes and dreams for her future, which were so cruelly snatched away.
"It is plain that Olivia was a lovely little girl, who cared for others and brightened the lives of her family and friends. They have suffered an unimaginable loss which they must carry for the rest of their lives."
Mr Cooper earlier said in his submissions that Cashman "had no intention" to kill Olivia and argued that there had been "no significant planning" in his plot to shoot his intended target, Joseph Nee. The judge added in her sentencing remarks: "This was a targeted, planned execution attempt.
"It commenced in a residential street. Even as Mr Nee ran for his life, the defendant ruthlessly pursued him - he then fired more shots as Mr Nee tried to take cover in a determined effort to complete what he had set out to do.
"The real gravity of this case is that a young child was shot and killed in her own home. As children do, Olivia was coming downstairs to seek reassurance.
"Cheryl Korbel should have been able to give that reassurance and tuck Olivia back into bed. What happened instead was chilling and strikes fear not only into the immediate community but also into the minds of other children and their parents."
Justice Yip continued: "The defendant has not acknowledged his responsibility for Olivia’s death and so has demonstrated no remorse. His failure to come into court is perhaps further evidence of that, although I make it clear this has not caused me to increase his sentence.
"The defendant is a father, and I accept that being taken away from his children is a loss for him and for them. It is a loss that he is wholly responsible for."
Manchester Crown Square Crown Court previously heard during a three-and-a-half-week trial that Cashman "lay in wait" for his Nee while armed with two loaded guns as he watched a Liverpool FC v Manchester United football match on the television at his friend Timmy Naylor's house on Finch Lane. When he left the address with another man, Paul Abraham, the gunman approached them from behind and opened fire with a self-loading Glock-style pistol.
A chilling piece of CCTV footage showed Mr Abraham running for his life as two loud bangs rang out. Convicted burglar and drug dealer Nee was shot in the midriff at this point and stumbled to the floor as a result of his injuries.
David McLachlan KC, prosecuting, described how Cashman had "murder on his mind" and stood over the helpless man and attempted to discharge the firearm again as he begged: "Please don't. Don't lad".
But the gun malfunctioned, and Nee was able to escape. Cashman however continued his "ruthless pursuit" as he fled towards the Korbel family home.
Forty-six-year-old Cheryl, alarmed by the gunfire outside, had stepped out of her house to investigation but quickly rushed back indoors when she saw Nee running towards her and away from Cashman - who was dressed all in black and had his face covered. She then tussled with the gunman's intended target in an attempt to keep her front door shut and to keep him out of the property, but was unable to fully close it as it had been left on the latch in order to allow the neighbours to let themselves in for a cup of tea.
The assailant fired another shot with a second, backup weapon - a 0.3 caliber revolver - at this point. This was the shot which claimed Olivia's life, the bullet passing through the door and travelling through the mother's hand before striking her in the chest.
The schoolgirl had been upstairs in bed, but was heard to say "mummy, I'm scared" as she ran to the bottom of the stairs to her mum having been startled by the commotion. With Nee by now inside, Cashman then forced his arm around the door and fired one final shot which became lodged in the doorframe.
Olivia was scooped up by the first police officer to arrive at the scene and rushed to Alder Hey Children's Hospital after being critically injured, but was pronounced dead shortly before 11.30pm. There were emotional scenes in court as Cheryl Korbel recounted the tragedy in a video interview with police, which was played to the jury.
In it, she said: "I heard the baby screaming, that’s when I turned round and spotted her sat at the bottom of the stairs. I couldn’t keep her awake.
"I knew she’d gone. I knew she’d gone."
Nee was bundled into a car by his associates and taken to Whiston Hospital, later being transferred to Aintree Hospital after suffering gunshot wounds to the chest and lower abdomen. Cashman meanwhile escaped the scene of the shooting by leaping through back gardens before making his way to the home of a woman with whom he had previously had an affair.
She was woken by him standing at her bedside before she phoned her boyfriend Paul Russell, who then arrived at the house. The witness - who cannot be named for legal reasons - reported hearing Cashman make an apparent confession to her partner at the doorstep, telling him: "I've done Joey."
He was then given a change of clothing before being driven back to his Citroen Berlingo van, which he had earlier parked on Aspes Road, by Russell. A pair of Under Armour tracksuit bottoms which he was handed at this time were later found at his sister's home on Mab Lane with his DNA and traces of gunpowder residue on them.
Giving evidence from the witness box, the woman told the trial: "I’m sorry, I can’t forgive anyone who has hurt any child. If he was any sort of man he’d just f****** own it.
"I can’t believe he’s making the family go through what they’re going through. It’s a child, it’s a child.
"She can never go home ever again. It breaks my heart."
The attacker was also identified to have worn distinctive Monterrain trackies which matched a pair owned by Cashman. He had been observed on CCTV making a number of trips past Finch Lane on the day in question, including an apparent attempt to carry out the shooting at around 4pm that afternoon having spotted Nee's van outside - but this was thwarted after the then 35-year-old left to visit Screwfix.
Cashman however claimed in his evidence that he had no involvement in the shooting and was counting £10,000 in cash and "smoking a spliff" at his friend Craig Byrne's house on Snowberry Road at the time. He had admitted being a "high level" drug dealer who made up to £5,000 per week selling cannabis, and his various trips around the area throughout the day were apparently concerned with his involvement in the supply of the class B substance.
Meanwhile, Cashman accused the woman with whom he had had the fling of attempting to frame him for the murder as she was a "woman scorned". He suggested that her boyfriend Paul Russell owed him a £25,000 debt and questioned whether she had been motivated by the possibility of reward money.
He told jurors: "It shows you the lengths a woman who’s got something in for someone would go to. This is how low they go to."
The defendant also stated he had "no problems" with the Nee family and counted them as friends. The father-of-two, who was defended by Professor John Cooper KC, said on the witness box: "I'm not a killer, I'm a dad."
Cashman was also found guilty of attempting to murder Joseph Nee, wounding with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm against Cheryl Korbel and two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. Forty-one-year-old Russell, of Snowberry Drive, will be sentenced at a later date at Liverpool Crown Court after admitting assisting an offender in relation to his involvement,
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