Olivia Pratt Korbel’s killer loses bid to challenge conviction

A man who shot and killed a nine-year-old girl has lost a bid to challenge his conviction at the Court of Appeal.
Thomas Cashman, now 36, was given a 42 year minimum jail term term in April 2023 for shooting Olivia Pratt Korbel dead at her home in Dovecot, Liverpool, on 22 August 2022.
It comes after the Court of Appeal threw out a bid to challenge his sentence last November.
On Wednesday 20 November, barristers for Cashman told the same court that it should order investigations into claims that jurors were provided with panic alarms by police and allegations that evidence was given to them during their deliberations which had not been presented at trial.
But three senior judges dismissed the appeal bid, with Lord Justice Holroyde stating that full reasons for the three judges senior decision would follow at a later date.
Lord Justice Holroyde stating: “The effect, of course, is that Mr Cashman remains convicted as before.”
Cashman’s trial at Manchester Crown Court 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.
Cashman, previously of Grenadier Drive, West Derby, Liverpool, 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.
Cashman, who did not attend his sentencing, also did not attend Wednesday’s hearing, but Ms Korbel was present via video link.
A further allegation was made that documents relating to the evidence of Paul Russell, who had already pleaded guilty to assisting Cashman following the murder and later received a 22-month prison term, were given to the jury during its deliberations despite not being presented at trial.
Mr Cooper said: “The allegation is of such seriousness that it would be wrong for an investigation not to be ordered.”
He continued: “We are just asking for an investigation. We are not asking for a resolution.
“It is in the public interest that if allegations of such a serious nature are made, they are substantiated or put to bed.”
The Crown Prosecution Service opposed the appeal bid, with its barrister, David McLachlan KC, telling the court there was “simply no evidence” of a “jury irregularity”.