Police statement after Thomas Cashman sentenced

Thomas Cashman is “public enemy number one” inside Manchester’s Strangeways prison after his conviction for the murder of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel, and will be placed in isolation for his own protection, insiders have claimed. The 34-year-old, who was jailed at Manchester Crown Court for a minimum of 42 years yesterday, is understood to have a £250,000 price on his head, with gangsters apparently concerned he will spill the beans about illegal activities in return for cushier treatment on the inside.

One source told The Sun: ”Cashman will be in isolation for a period of time for his own sake. It’ll be easier for all involved.

“There’s fears he will grass to get an easier life in prison as an informer. And also there’s people out for revenge.”

Speaking about the alleged £250,000 bounty, thought to have been circulated on the encrypted messaging app Telegram, the insider described Cashman as “a real target”.

Cashman refused to appear in the dock to be sentenced yesterday after a jury found him guilty last week of murdering the schoolgirl in her home in Dovecot, Liverpool, on August 22 last year.

Sentencing Cashman, Mrs Justice Yip said: “The defendant has not acknowledged his responsibility for Olivia’s death and so has demonstrated no remorse.

“His failure to come into court is further evidence of that.”

Cashman “relentlessly pursued” his target, Joseph Nee, into Olivia’s home, where the schoolgirl had left her bed after hearing the commotion, the judge said.

She continued: “She came downstairs to seek the comfort of her mother. Her last words were ‘mum, I’m scared’.

JUST IN: Thomas Cashman jailed for life for murder of Olivia Pratt-Korbel

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“In a terrible twist of fate she had stepped directly into the line of fire.”

The trial, which lasted almost four weeks, heard Cashman had been “scoping out” intended target Nee, a convicted drug dealer, on the day of Olivia’s death.

The jury was told he lay in wait for Nee on Kingsheath Avenue, armed with two guns, and then chased him, firing three shots in the street, when Nee left a house shortly before 10pm.

Nee ran towards the open door of Olivia’s home after her mother went out to see what the noise was, the court heard.

The bullet which killed Olivia was fired through the front door, hitting the wrist of Ms Korbel, who was trying to hold the door shut, before striking Olivia in the chest.

A woman who had a fling with Cashman told the jury he came to her house after the shooting, where he changed his clothes and she heard him say he had “done Joey”.

Speaking outside court, Olivia’s mother Cheryl Korbel, 46, said: “Justice has prevailed and I cannot begin to express our relief.”

Wearing a hoody with her daughter’s picture on, she added: “We welcome the sentence given but what I can say is that my family and I have already started our life sentence having to spend the rest of our lives without Olivia.

“I cannot get my head around how Cashman continued to shoot after hearing the terrifying screams. “The utter devastation he has caused. He doesn’t care, how could he?”

Reading a statement on behalf of the family of Olivia’s father John Francis Pratt, her aunt Louise Pratt said: “Olivia Pratt-Korbel died a scared nine-year-old, and we hope Cashman is haunted by this knowledge for the rest of his life.”

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