When Cashman, 34, was found guilty of killing nine-year-old Olivia at her house in Dovecot, Liverpool, he filed an appeal against the minimum 42-year sentence that was imposed on him. This was done at the beginning of July.
A judge’s denial of the application has now been confirmed by the Court of Appeal.
The rejection of Cashman’s request to have his prison sentence reduced, according to Olivia Korbel’s mother Cheryl Korbel, “meant everything to us as a family, it was huge.”
Cashman ‘ruthlessly pursued’ his intended target, drug dealer Joseph Nee, into the Korbel family home in Knotty Ash, Liverpool on the evening of August 22 last year.
Cashman has appealed his 42-year sentence but it has been turned down (Picture: PA)Court artist sketch of Cashman in the dock at Manchester Crown Court (Picture: Elizabeth Cook / PA)
Seconds earlier, Olivia had gotten out of bed and run to her mother screaming ‘I’m scared mummy, I’m scared’ after hearing a commotion outside.
She was standing on the stairs when Cashman fired at Nee as he tried to barge his way in, with the bullet going through the front door, through Ms Korbel’s right hand and into her chest.
Jurors heard Cashman fled on foot, jumping over garden fences, and Nee staggered out into the road where he was picked up by five men in a black car as Olivia lay fatally wounded.
Cheryl Korbel, left, spoke of her pain after losing her daughter in such tragic circumstances (Picture: PA)
She was taken to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and rushed straight to the resuscitation room but was declared dead at 11.15pm.
Cashman, who jurors heard had planned Nee’s ‘execution’, was convicted of Olivia’s murder after just over nine hours’ deliberations following a three-week trial.
He was also found guilty of the attempted murder of Nee, wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm to Ms Korbel, and two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.
After Olivia’s family endured a four-week trial, her killer refused to show up for his sentencing, instead remaining in his cell.
Cheryl, 48, told The Mirror: ‘We knew when he didn’t show up in court that he was going to appeal it.’
Cheryl said: ‘I laughed when I heard he had appealed his sentence, I just thought it was a joke, we went right through court and then he never turned up for his sentence.’
‘You never get closure’, Cheryl told the newspaper, ‘and then for him to not turn up was a punch in the stomach. It’s not a quick process at all. It was draining.’
‘The pain he has put us through, we’ve lost Olivia, she was the core of the family, she was the youngest. But whether that makes any difference to him I’m not sure.
‘The law needs changing so other families don’t have to go through the same thing, so they get the chance to tell these offenders the pain they have caused.’
According to reports, the cold-blooded killer of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel will trade prison security for the lives of other criminals.
According to the MailOnline, a £250,000 bounty has been placed on the head of murderer Thomas Cashman, 34, and he is presently being held in isolation in Strangeways Prison for his “personal protection.”
According to a gang source, the crime has turned him into the community’s top nemesis in Strangeways.
Police hope the killer will give up names and share details about a number of violent offences and drug conspiracies across the north west.
The gang insider previously said: ‘There’s fears he will grass to get an easier life in prison as an informer. And also there’s people out for revenge. Cashman is a real target. The £250,000 bounty will entice people.’
The source said the bounty was publicised on encrypted messaging app Telegram, as those who ordered the hit are likely worried Cashman will reveal information about gang executions and unsolved murders to improve the terms of his imprisonment.
The source added: ‘His testimony would cause a world of pain for several big organised crime bosses who do not want their activities being looked at.
Olivia was just nine years old when she was shot dead by Cashman (Credits: PA)
‘He has nothing to lose, he is cornered. There’s lifers who will be mixing with him in months and years to come who will not think twice about carrying it out.
‘Cashman knows everything there is to know about organised crime, drugs and violence in Merseyside.’
On the day of Olivia’s killing Cashman was chasing drug dealer Joseph Nee, who was the intended target of the shooting.
Nee fled into Olivia’s home and Cashman shot through the front door, killing Olivia and injuring her mum Cheryl.
But the two guns used by Cashman that day have not been found by police, leading to concerns that they could be used in other crimes.
Cashman denied killing Olivia and said while he was working as a drug dealer in the area at the time of the shooting, he was not the gunman.
Given that there are allegedly “those out for revenge,” the murderer of Olivia Pratt-Korbel will reportedly be kept in isolation for his own safety.
In a failed attempt on rival drug dealer Joseph Nee in Liverpool in August of last year, Thomas Cashman, 34, killed the nine-year-old and injured her mother Cheryl, according to a verdict handed down last week.
Upon learning that the prosecution team had sang in celebration of his conviction as he was sentenced to 42 years in prison yesterday, he refused to face Olivia’s family.
Cashman’s shooting shocked the nation, but it appears it also made him a target for gangsters who ‘placed a £250,000 bounty on his head’.
They reportedly fear he could implicate them in other unsolved murders in exchange for a cushier life in prison.
‘Cashman will be in isolation for a period of time for his own sake. It’ll be easier for all involved,’ a source told The Sun.
‘There’s fears he will grass to get an easier life in prison as an informer. And also there’s people out for revenge. Cashman is a real target. The £250,000 bounty will entice people.’
Olivia was struck in the chest by a stray bullet intended for Cashman’s target Joseph Nee (Picture: PA)
Cashman’s barrister revealed the killer had become upset that prosecutors sang ‘We Are the Champions’ after the jury returned its verdict.
John Cooper KC told the court: ‘He has been spoken to and been given certain advice but he is concerned that the matter is turning into a circus.’
Ruling the sentencing could go ahead, Mrs Justice Yip slammed Cashman’s absence as ‘deeply disrespectful’ to Olivia’s grieving family.
His antics caused several minutes of delay to proceedings and meant Cashman – unlike the vast majority of criminals in the UK – did not have to listen to victim impact statements read out in court.
In her statement, Mrs Korbel, 46, said Olivia was planning to donate 12 inches of her hair to the Princess Trust, which creates wigs for sick children.
Olivia had been due to have her ponytail lopped off five days after she was murdered.
In his statement, Olivia’s dad, John Pratt, said: ‘Each day I feel completely overwhelmed and I don’t know how I’ll cope. I can’t stay at my home. It’s a constant reminder of the loss of Olivia.
‘I want to visit Olivia and sometimes sit outside the cemetery. If I go inside, it will all seem real. My heart is broken every time I hear Olivia’s name on the television.
‘Olivia will never call me dad again. All I want is my baby back and roasting marshmallows as I promised her on the last time I saw her.
‘I will never get to keep this promise or give her the Christmas presents I bought her. She will never get the opportunity to fall in love and have her own children.
‘I will never get the opportunity to see my daughter on her wedding day. Most of all, I’ll never get to see her grow into the beautiful woman she was destined to become.
‘We have been robbed of her future and the amazing teenager and adult she was destined to become. She will be forever nine.’
Thomas Cashman was convicted of killing Olivia Pratt-Korbel, 9, in a gangland execution that “horribly went awry.”
On the evening of August 22 of last year, the schoolgirl was shot as the gunman, 34, “ruthlessly followed” his intended target, convicted drug dealer Joseph Nee, into her family home in Knotty Ash, Liverpool.
She had just heard a noise outside when she sprang out of bed and ran to her mother Cheryl Korbel, 46, yelling, “Mom, I’m afraid,” Manchester Crown Court was informed.
She was standing on the stairs when Cashman fired at Nee as he tried to barge his way in, with the bullet going through the front door, through Ms Korbel’s right hand and into her chest.
Jurors heard Cashman fled on foot, jumping over garden fences, and Nee staggered out into the road where he was picked up by five men in a black car as Olivia lay fatally wounded.
She was taken to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and rushed straight to the resuscitation room but was declared dead at 11.15pm.
Cashman, who jurors heard had planned Nee’s ‘execution’, was convicted of Olivia’s murder following a trial which lasted three weeks.
Olivia was fatally shot at her home in Knotty Ash, Liverpool (Picture: PA)
Opening the case, prosecutor David McLachlan KC said he had been ‘lying in wait’ for Nee, who was watching football at another man’s house that night.
When he left the address at 10pm, Cashman ran up behind him and fired three shots from a self-loading pistol, one of which hit Nee in the midriff.
Cashman then stood over Nee and tried to fire again but, possibly because the pistol malfunctioned, he was unable to complete his ‘task’.
Seeing the light in Ms Korbel’s doorway as she peered out to see what was going on, Nee ‘made a dash’ for the house, with Cashman in pursuit.
He pulled out a second gun, a revolver, and let off a fourth shot, which killed Olivia.
Mr McLachlan told the jury: ‘The shooting had gone horribly wrong.
‘This is what this case is all about. This is serious business, as you will appreciate.
‘The prosecution say it’s about the ruthless pursuit by Thomas Cashman to shoot Joseph Nee at all costs without any consideration for anyone else in the community.
‘Thomas Cashman’s actions resulted in Joseph Nee being injured, Cheryl Korbel being injured and, most tragically of all in this case, Olivia Pratt-Korbel being killed.’
Several people in the public gallery wept as they watched Ms Korbel’s video interview, in which she tearfully told police officers: ‘I knew she had gone.’
With her arm in a bandage, she said her son Ryan helped her to carry Olivia up the stairs and she shouted for a towel to stop the bleeding.
She added: ‘She went all floppy, and her eyes went to the back of her head, and I realised that she must have been hit because I didn’t know until then and I lifted her top up and the bullet had got her right in the middle of the chest.’
The mum-of-three said a neighbour came in and started CPR on Olivia, adding: ‘I knew she’d gone; I knew she’d gone. Then the police turned up and came up and just picked her up and took her out the house.’
She was taken to another hospital for treatment to her hand and while she was there, she said she was told Olivia ‘had gone’, adding: ‘I just went hysterical screaming I wanted my baby.’
Describing a phone call with a friend who was with Olivia, she said: ‘She told me she was with the baby, and I told her not to leave her on her own and she promised me that she wouldn’t.
‘She said she looked like she was sleeping, so I made her promise she wouldn’t leave her on her own.’
At one point, Cashman was handed a tissue by a dock officer after appearing to wipe away tears with his hand.
Ms Korbel later walked out of court as he denied her daughter’s murder from the witness box.
After being shown CCTV footage of the shooting, he told jurors: ‘It’s not me.’
Mr McLachlan said: ‘You’re not prepared to, in the words of somebody else, own this, Mr Cashman, because you killed a little girl?’
Cashman replied: ‘No, I did not kill a little girl.’
He questioned whether his DNA had been found on the door of Olivia’s family home and suggested Nee had given the name of another suspect.
Police ‘hunting down’ those who enabled Olivia’s murder
Police chiefs say they are still ‘hunting down’ those who enabled the youngster’s murder.
Two guns were used in the killing, which also injured her mother and Nee, but neither has been recovered.
Chief Constable Serena Kennedy of Merseyside Police said: ‘The conviction of Thomas Cashman in terms of the murder of Olivia is a positive.
‘We are still hunting down those people who enabled that murder to take place – who supplied the gun, where the gun is – and we will carry on until we identify those people responsible.’
Detective Superintendent Mark Baker said finding the weapons – a Glock self-loading pistol and revolver – is key.
He said: ‘We appeal for people to come forward if they’ve got knowledge of those guns, and we want them off the streets.’
Ms Kennedy, who became Chief Constable in 2021, said she was ‘completely devastated’ when she heard of Olivia’s death.
Police react to guilty verdict in trial of Olivia Pratt-Korbel killer.
She said: ‘I was just absolutely horrified to hear that a nine-year-old child had been murdered in a way in which she had, you know, the way in which Olivia’s life had ended.
‘My condolences absolutely go to Olivia’s family. I just can’t imagine what they’re going through every day since Olivia was murdered.’
She described the people carrying out shootings as ‘absolutely cowardly, despicable people’.
‘Anybody who is willing to pick up a gun to settle a dispute that they have with another person is taking a risk, but it’s a risk they’re not bothered about.
‘They don’t care about the consequences. They don’t care that a family has lost a son, a daughter, a brother, a sister, a partner. They’re just not bothered. They don’t care about the consequences.
‘They’re not people that we want living in our communities in Merseyside and we will hunt them down, hold them responsible, or put them before the courts.’
Cashman admitted selling cannabis but told the court he was ‘not a bad drug dealer’.
He said a woman he had a fling with, who claimed he had gone to her house after the shooting and heard him say he had ‘done Joey’, was a ‘woman scorned’.
Defending, John Cooper KC told jurors Cashman was ‘probably one of the most hated people in the country’.
He said the family of Nee, the intended target of the shooting, ‘had their enemies’ and there were other people who wanted him dead.
Mr Cooper added: ‘When Tommy Cashman says to you “it wasn’t me”, it therefore must have been someone else, that’s not pie in the sky, we submit, it’s based on fact.’
The murder of Olivia, who was fatally shot by a gunman who chased a convicted burglar into herLiverpool home, was charged against Thomas Cashman, 34, at Liverpool Crown Court.
The accused killer of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel entered a not-guilty plea.
On Wednesday, 34-year-old Thomas Cashman made a videolink appearance at Liverpool Crown Court.
A shooter who chased Joseph Nee, a convicted burglar, into Olivia’s Dovecot, Liverpool, home in August fatally shot Nee.
Image:Thomas Cashman
The victim’s mother, Cheryl Korbel, 46, was also injured in the shooting.
Cashman, from West Derby, entered not guilty pleas to Olivia’s murder, the attempted murder of Nee, the wounding with intent of Ms Korbel, as well as two counts of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.
Ms Korbel was in court along with other family members, some of whom shook their heads as the not-guilty pleas were entered.
Thomas Cashman is also charged with the attempted murder of the girl’s mother Cheryl Korbel and convicted burglar Joseph Nee, as well as two counts of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.
Thomas Cashman, 34, appeared at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court this morning.
The case has been sent to Liverpool Crown Court where it will be heard at 2pm today.
Olivia was fatally shot by a gunman who chased convicted burglar Joseph Nee into her home in Dovecot on 22 August.
Her mother Cheryl Korbel, 46, was injured in the shooting, which happened just after 10pm.
Cashman, of Grenadier Drive, West Derby, is also charged with the attempted murder of Ms Korbel and Nee, as well as two counts of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.
Cashman, wearing a pale T-shirt, was in handcuffs in the dock and surrounded by four police officers. He spoke to give his name, date of birth and address.
The court heard the case could only be dealt with by the crown court.
Ms Dale’s death was one of three fatal shootings within a week in Liverpool, with nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel killed on 22 August and 22-year-old Sam Rimmer gunned down in Dingle on 16 August.
Police investigating the murder of a council worker in Liverpool have released images of a vehicle travelling in the area shortly before she was shot.
Ashley Dale, 28, was found with gunshot wounds in the back garden of her home in Old Swan in the early hours of Sunday 21 August. She was taken to hospital but died a short time later.
Ms Dale, an environmental health officer for Knowsley Council, is not believed to have been the intended target of the shooting.
Her death was one of three fatal shootings within a week in Liverpool, with nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel killed in her home in Dovecot on 22 August and 22-year-old Sam Rimmer gunned down in Dingle on 16 August.
On the night of Ms Dale’s death, officers were called to an address in Leinster Road at around 12.40 am following reports of concern for a woman at the property.
Image:Ashley Dale was shot dead in Old Swan. Pic: Merseyside Police
Eight people have been arrested in connection with Ms Dale’s murder and remain on conditional bail or under investigation.
Police are now appealing for information about a grey Hyundai i30 N performance car that was spotted in the area earlier in the evening. The car has not yet been recovered.
Detective Chief Inspector Cath Cummings, of Merseyside Police, said: “We now believe that this Hyundai was driven in the areas of Dovecot and Page Moss during the evening of Ashley’s murder, including on Pilch Lane.
“As we look to gather all available evidence, I want to continue to appeal to anyone who lives in these areas and may have any information about this car.
“This might range from knowing who was driving, seeing someone being picked up, or capturing further images or footage on CCTV, dashcam or doorbell devices. We also need to know where the car is now.
“A minor detail could have major significance and we will review everything that comes in and make that assessment, and it all forms part of detectives building up an evidential picture, something that can of course take time.
“Please come forward with anything you know to help us bring those responsible before the courts and get justice for Ashley’s family.”
The footage in relation to Ms Dale’s death comes as police have made another arrest in connection with the murder of Olivia Pratt-Korbel.
A 40-year-old man from Dovecot was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender on Friday.
It comes a day after a 34-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of her murder.
Anyone with information about Ms Dale’s murder is asked to contact the investigating team through the online portal at mipp.police.uk, or via social media @MerPolCC. Alternatively, they can call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 quoting reference 22000615873.
Officers looking into the death of nine-year-old Olivia have detained four individuals in the past 24 hours.
In relation to the Liverpool slaying of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel, a fourth man has been detained.
The suspect, 34, was stopped on the M42 near Leamington Spa on Sunday evening.
The man, who is from Liverpool, was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and is in police custody.
Detective Chief Superintendent Mark Kameen said: “I continue to urge anyone who has information that can help our investigation into Olivia’s tragic murder to please come forward so we can bring those responsible to justice.
“A number of people have been arrested in respect of this investigation. However, we still need the public‘s help in ensuring that we can build a strong evidential picture so justice is served for Olivia and her family.
“With this, I appeal for those who may have information, no matter how small, that could continue to help our inquiries to contact us directly or anonymously and we will do the rest.”
The latest development comes after a man, also 34, was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder in connection with Olivia’s killing.
Two other men, a 41-year-old from Knowsley and a 29-year-old from Liverpool, are being questioned on suspicion of assisting an offender.
Olivia died after being shot in her home in the Dovecot area of Liverpool when a gunman chased Joseph Nee, a convicted burglar, into the property at about 10 pm on 22 August.
Merseyside Police say that they “think he may have significant information that could help us capture her killer.”
In an effort to find her killer, detectives looking into the death of Olivia Pratt-Korbel in Liverpool have released surveillance footage of a different guy observed in the area.
Merseyside Police released a video of a short-haired man wearing a colorful jacket and issued a request for help from anyone who may have seen him or knows his identity.
“We believe he may have important information that could help us catch her killer,” the force said on Twitter.
Officers have also revealed that two guns were used in the shooting, in which her mother Cheryl Korbel, and the gunman’s intended target, Joseph Nee, were both injured.
The nine-year-old girl was killed after she was shot by the masked attacker who had chased Nee into Olivia’s family home on Kingsheath Avenue in the Dovecot area at around 10 pm on Monday 22 August.
Separate CCTV previously released shows what police believe to be the gunman running away from the scene.
#ICYMI We need to know who this man is as he was in the area when 9-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel was shot & killed in her own home in #Liverpool on August 22.
Do you know his name? Did you see him? We believe he may have important information that could help us catch her killer.
A man targeted by a gunman in the shooting that killed nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel is due to face further questioning about her murder.
Olivia was shot as her mother struggled with two men, one with a gun, at her home in Liverpool on Monday night.
The intended victim of the shooting has been named as 35-year-old Joseph Nee, a convicted drug dealer.
Police have not publicly identified Nee, but said a man had been detained and would be interviewed.
Nee, who was also shot, was previously jailed for drug offences, and in 2018 for three years and nine months for burglary.
He also has previous convictions for theft of a motor vehicle, dangerous driving, driving without insurance and driving while disqualified.
On Wednesday, Merseyside Police said a 35-year-old man injured in the shooting would be recalled to prison for allegedly breaching the terms of his licence conditions with “poor behaviour”.
The man, who was in a stable condition, had been detained in hospital and would be “further questioned” in connection with Olivia’s death, the force said.
Police said, in the hunt for the gunman, officers had been given the same name by two different sources.
A Liverpool city councillor told the BBC earlier that information “was coming into the police” but encouraged more people to come forward.
Liam Robinson said it was “absolutely vital in these early days” that any details were passed on.
Det Ch Supt Mark Kameen said Olivia’s death, as well as the recent shootings of 28-year-old Ashley Dale in Old Swan and 22-year-old Sam Rimmer in Dingle, were all “receiving first-class treatment and will continue to do so”.
He said the force was “absolutely dedicated” to ensuring there were sufficient resources to investigate each case and police raids carried out across Liverpool on Wednesday were in response to the deaths and organised crime.
He said: “We’re proactive, we’re hard-edged and we’ll take the fight to the criminal.”
Merseyside Police said the 35-year-old man, suspected to have been the target of the shooting, has been detained in hospital on a prison recall after breaching the terms of his licence.
He will be recalled to prison to serve the remainder of his licence. He will be further questioned in connection with the murder and remains in a stable condition, the force added.
Olivia Pratt-Korbel was killed by a masked attacker who had chased a man into her terraced home in Kingsheath Avenue, in the Dovecot area of the city, on Monday night.
Her mother had opened the front door after hearing a commotion outside, and a man being pursued forced his way into the house in an attempt to get away from the shooter.
Olivia’s mother Cheryl Korbel, 46, was shot in the wrist as she tried to close the door on the gunman, who fired indiscriminately into the house.
The youngster was fatally shot by the same bullet as she stood behind her.
The man who had entered the family home suffered gunshot wounds to his upper body and, as Olivia lay dying, was picked up and taken to hospital by friends driving a dark-coloured Audi which has since been seized by police.
Officers arrived and found Olivia with a gunshot injury to her chest
They took Olivia to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, where she later died.
Mrs Korbel, who was taken to another hospital by paramedics, is recovering from her gunshot wound.
Police have been conducting house-to-house enquiries and reviewing CCTV footage.
The gunman was described as wearing a black padded jacket, a black balaclava with a peak, dark trousers and black gloves.
He fired shots at two men as they walked along Kingsheath Avenue, causing both to run away – one of them into Olivia’s house.
9 year old Olivia Pratt-Korbel killed in Liverpool forced his way into her house. As her mother struggled to close the door, she was also injured.
Police have described the moment a gunman shot into the house of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel, injuring her mother and fatally wounding the child.
The primary school pupil was killed shortly after 10pm on Monday night after a 35-year-old man, being chased by another man with a gun, forced his way into her house.
Detective Chief Superintendent Mark Kameen said: “We now believe that around 10pm two men were walking along Kingsheath Avenue from the direction of Finch Lane.
“At that time they were approached by a lone person – potentially a male – who was wearing a black padded jacket, a black balaclava with a peak, dark pants, and black gloves. This individual was approximately 5ft 7ins tall and of slim build, and they were carrying a handgun.”
He said this person shot at the two men, causing them to run away.
After hearing gunshots on the street Olivia’s mum, Cheryl, opened the door to the family’s house. The man being chased then pushed his way into their home.
The gunman followed, putting his hand through a gap and opened fire, shooting blind around the door. Cheryl was shot in the arm and Olivia fatally injured where she stood at the bottom of the stairs. The pair were at home with Olivia’s two older siblings at the time.
There were two further shots at the 35-year-old inside the house, hitting him in the body before the attacker made off on foot.
Friends of the man who forced himself into the house picked him up from the streets in a dark Audi and took him to hospital “while Olivia lay dying”, said Chief Constable Serena Kennedy. The vehicle they traveled in has now been seized.
Police were called to a house on Kingsheath Avenue, Knotty Ash, following reports an unknown male had fired a gun inside.
Olivia was taken to Alder Hey hospital in critical condition, where she later died.
The man and her mother are being treated in hospital for their injuries. The 35-year-old hasn’t spoken yet as a result of his injuries.
