On 22 August 2022, Olivia Pratt-Korbel, a nine-year-old girl, was shot by Thomas Cashman in Liverpool, England, and was pronounced dead the same day at the city's Alder Hey Children's Hospital.
[4] Olivia had an older brother and sister and lived in Liverpool, North West England.
[11] Around 10 pm on 22 August 2022,[2] Olivia's mother Cheryl Korbel heard a disturbance outside her family home in Kingsheath Avenue, Dovecot, and opened her front door, with Pratt-Korbel behind her.
Joseph Nee, a 35-year-old "well-established organised crime group member" and one of two men fleeing from Thomas Cashman, attempted to force himself into her home.
[6] Olivia Pratt-Korbel was later declared deceased at Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool.
[1][2] Merseyside Police understood that Nee walked away from Pratt-Korbel and her mother to get in an escape vehicle, a black Audi car.
[24] On 21 December 2022, Thomas Cashman appeared at Liverpool Crown Court via videolink from HM Prison Manchester and pleaded not guilty to all five charges.
[29] It was believed that Cashman was carrying out reconnaissance of the area to look for Nee and determine whether he had parked his car by an address on that road (which he had).
[31] CCTV of the gunman that night also showed him wearing a pair of tracksuit bottoms that matched the style of and design of those worn by Cashman.
[32] When police searched Cashman's home they also found hidden cables from missing CCTV recorders, and also discovered that one of these had last been connected on 25 August, days after the shooting.
[28] The trial began at Manchester Crown Court on 7 March 2023, before Mrs Justice Amanda Yip.
[37] Paul Russell had pleaded guilty to assisting an offender in October 2022, but the media were unable to report on it until the conclusion of Cashman's trial.
Johnson added: "This is an unimaginable tragedy and we will ensure Merseyside Police get whatever they need to catch those responsible and secure justice for Olivia.
"[44] Home Secretary Priti Patel visited the site of the shooting and pledged more money for Merseyside Police to reduce weapons and violence.
[47] In the following month's Merseyside derby, the fans of the two clubs also paid tribute to her at the ninth minute of the match.