Cowardly Thomas Cashman bails on sentencing for murder of Olivia Pratt-Korbel
The cowardly killer of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel has refused to take the stand during his sentencing after he was found guilty of murdering the young girl.
Thomas Cashman, 34, will instead be sentenced at Manchester Crown Court in his absence.
The killer was last week found guilty of murdering the nine-year-old, who was shot in her home in Dovecot, Liverpool, last August.
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Olivia died on August 22 last year after a bullet passed through the front door of her home, on Kingsheath Avenue in Dovecot, hit her mum, Cheryl Korbel, in the hand and then struck her in the chest.
Jurors heard the gunman was chasing his intended target Joseph Nee, 36, who barged through the front door of the Korbel family home while fleeing for his life.
Cashman is also due to be sentenced for the attempted murder of Joseph Nee, the wounding with intent of Olivia’s mother Cheryl Korbel and two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.
The convicted killer’s family were also missing from the sentencing hearing.
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His lawyer, John Cooper KC, said that Cashman was not attending the hearing as he was aware that the CPS were singing “We are the Champions” following the verdict in his trial.
The barrister said: “He has been spoken to and been given certain advice but he is concerned that the matter is turning into a circus.”
Mrs Justice Yip, presiding over the hearing, said Cashman’s refusal to attend the proceedings was “disrespectful” to not only the court but to the family of the deceased.
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“I have directed he should come up to court. I do regard it as being disrespectful to the court, that is of less importance, but also to others interested in particular the family of the deceased”, she said in court today.
Olivia’s family were today given the opportunity to share how Olivia’s death has impacted them, the Liverpool Echo reported.
Through a barrister, Olivia’s dad John Pratt said: “All I want is my baby back and roasting marshmallows as I promised her the last time I saw her.
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“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.”
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