By Grâçia Ada Obi
The gunman who killed nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel in Liverpool has failed to have his murder conviction overturned.
Thomas Cashman was jailed for life with a minimum term of 42 years after being found unanimously guilty of murdering the schoolgirl by a jury last year. Olivia was killed when he blasted a gun into her home in August 2022, as he chased a drug-dealer who tried to run inside.
Cashman, of Grenadier Drive in West Derby, on Wednesday (November 20) appeared before the Court of Appeal in London in a bid to overturn his conviction. But this was thrown out by presiding judges Lord Justice Holroyde, Sir Stephen Irwin and Mr Justice Hilliard.
Cashman’s counsel John Cooper KC told the court that it should order an investigation into allegations that members of the jury were provided with panic alarms by the police during their deliberations. Lord Justice Holdroyde stated that the panel’s full reasons for its decision would be given at a later date.
Cashman’s trial at Manchester Crown Court previously heard that Olivia was shot while he was chasing convicted drug dealer Joseph Nee, who tried to run into the schoolgirl’s home in a bid to escape. The 36-year-old opened fire, hitting Olivia’s mother, Cheryl Korbel, in the wrist as she tried to keep the door shut against Nee, with the same bullet killing her daughter.
Giving evidence, he admitted being a “high-level” cannabis dealer, but told the jury: “I’m not a killer, I’m a dad.” But the trial heard that after fleeing the scene of Olivia’s murder, Cashman went to the house of a woman.
The woman, who has been given lifetime anonymity, told the court he had changed his clothes and she heard him say he had “done Joey.” Jurors later found Cashman guilty of Olivia’s murder, the attempted murder of Nee, the wounding with intent of Ms Korbel, and two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.
Olivia had been upstairs in bed before the shooting, 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 within 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. Tragically, she was pronounced dead shortly before 11.30pm.