Monday, November 6, 2023

Thomas Cashman Jailed for Life for Killing Olivia Pratt-Korbel

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Thomas Cashman, the 34-year-old man who murdered nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel, was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 42 years. Cashman refused to appear in court for the sentencing, and none of his family were present. The judge said his failure to appear was “disrespectful” to Olivia’s family. John Cooper KC, defending, said Cashman had not attended the hearing as he claimed the Crown Prosecution Service were singing “we are the champions” following his conviction.

At Manchester Crown Court, Mrs Justice Amanda Yip said Cashman had “demonstrated no remorse” and that his failure to come into court was further evidence of that. She said Cashman “relentlessly pursued” Joseph Nee into Olivia’s home, where the schoolgirl had left her bed after hearing the commotion. She added that Olivia’s last words were “Mum, I’m scared”. In a terrible twist of fate, she had stepped directly into the line of fire.

The judge said she had considered handing down a whole-life order, meaning Cashman would never be released from prison, but had decided it was not merited because the planning and premeditation in his attack was not directed at Olivia. She also praised the bravery of a woman who gave evidence against Cashman, who was granted lifetime anonymity.

Earlier in the hearing, Ms Korbel was in tears as she clutched a teddy bear made from her daughter’s pyjamas while giving her victim impact statement in the witness box. She said she spent every afternoon thinking about the end of the school day and her “sassy, chatty girl who everyone adored”. Ms Korbel added that Olivia’s grandmother had died on Sunday night, but had thankfully “lived long enough to see that coward found guilty”.

Olivia’s father John Pratt told the court he was “heartbroken” and had “nightmares about how she died [that] won’t go away”. Speaking directly to the absent Cashman, he said: “You have denied my beautiful girl Olivia her future. I will never see her on her wedding day, and walk her down the aisle… and see her grow into the beautiful woman she was destined to become. We have been robbed of her future. Because of you, she will be forever nine.”

Cashman, who told the court he made up to £5,000 every week from dealing cannabis in Liverpool, was found guilty of murdering Olivia after a trial which lasted more than three weeks. The jury heard 36-year-old Nee was the intended target of the attack and Cashman, armed with two guns, has been “lying in wait” for his fellow drug dealer.

At Manchester Crown Court, there were gasps from the public gallery as the sentence was announced. Olivia’s mum Cheryl and other relatives were crying, while some police officers were also tearful. Outside the courtroom, Olivia’s mum and aunties hugged and cried. This wasn’t just about justice for the nine-year-old and her family. It’s also a moment for the whole community in Dovecot, Liverpool.

The lengthy imprisonment of Thomas Cashman will reassure those he intimidated, and who lived in fear of him. They may feel a bit safer as a result. But it won’t solve the bigger issues which allowed him to flourish. The drugs trade will continue, and the availability of firearms is still a problem.

The jailing of Cashman is a big victory for the police. But they know there’s still much to do, to clean up the streets where he operated. Speaking after the sentencing, Ms Korbel said her family “can now draw a line under seven months of agonising torment we have had to endure at the hands of Cashman”. She thanked the witnesses “who bravely assisted the prosecution case and defied the usual stance [that] ‘people do not grass'”.

Louise Pratt, John Pratt’s sister added that while they were “happy” with the outcome, they “would not be celebrating, as nothing will fill the gap left in our lives following the loss of Olivia”. Det Supt Mark Baker said the “courage and bravery of Olivia’s family [was] in direct contrast to the cowardice shown by Thomas Cashman”. He said the sentence has been welcomed by Merseyside Police, adding that it meant Cashman “won’t be out until he’s a very old man”.

A Ministry of Justice source said Olivia and her family “weren’t able to hide from Thomas Cashman’s crime, so he shouldn’t be able to hide from justice”. They said Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab was committed to changing the law so that offenders are forced to face the consequences of their actions.

Thomas Cashman was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 42 years for murdering nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel. He refused to appear in court for sentencing and none of his family were present. Mrs Justice Amanda Yip said Cashman had “demonstrated no remorse” and that his failure to come into court was further evidence of that.

At Manchester Crown Court there were gasps from the public gallery as the sentence was announced. Olivia’s mum Cheryl and other relatives were crying, while some police officers were also tearful. The lengthy imprisonment of Thomas Cashman will reassure those he intimidated, and who lived in fear of him.

The judge said she had considered handing down a whole-life order but had decided it was not merited because the planning and premeditation in his attack was not directed at Olivia. She also praised the bravery of a woman who gave evidence against Cashman, who was granted lifetime anonymity.

Olivia’s father John Pratt told the court he was “heartbroken” and had “nightmares about how she died [that] won’t go away”. Speaking directly to the absent Cashman, he said: “You have denied my beautiful girl Olivia her future.” Louise Pratt added that while they were “happy” with the outcome, they “would not be celebrating, as nothing will fill the gap left in our lives following the loss of Olivia”.

Det Supt Mark Baker said the sentence has been welcomed by Merseyside Police, adding that it meant Cashman “won’t be out until he’s a very old man”. A Ministry of Justice source said Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab was committed to changing the law so that offenders are forced to face the consequences of their actions. Ms Korbel said her family “can now draw a line under seven months of agonising torment we have had to endure at the hands of Cashman”.

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