Olivia Pratt-Korbel’s killer to seek appeal against conviction

Thomas Cashman, the individual convicted of fatally shooting nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel, is scheduled to seek permission to appeal his murder conviction in court later this month. Cashman, who was 35 at the time, caused the schoolgirl’s death during an attempted assassination targeting drug-dealer and burglar Joseph Nee in Dovecot, Liverpool. A bullet discharged by Cashman penetrated the door of Olivia’s residence, subsequently passing through the wrist of her mother, Cheryl Korbel, before striking Olivia. Cashman received a life sentence with a minimum prison term of 43 years. An earlier appeal challenging the duration of his sentence was unsuccessful. He is slated to appear at the Court of Appeal in London on 20 November, where his legal representatives intend to present his renewed application for leave to appeal all of his convictions. Following a trial at Liverpool Crown Court in 2023, Cashman was found guilty of Olivia’s murder, the attempted murder of Mr Nee, wounding Ms Korbel with intent, and two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. During the trial, it was established that Cashman, a resident of West Derby in Liverpool, equipped himself with two firearms and awaited Mr Nee’s departure from a friend’s house on 22 August, 2022. Just before 22:00 BST, he discharged a Glock semi-automatic handgun at Mr Nee, causing him to fall. Nevertheless, the court was informed that as Cashman advanced and tried to fire a subsequent shot, the weapon jammed, allowing Mr Nee to get up and escape. Ms Korbel, alerted by the commotion outdoors, opened her front door, leading Mr Nee to attempt to force his way inside for refuge. However, Cashman retrieved his secondary weapon, a revolver, and pursued Mr Nee to the entrance, where he discharged the fatal shot before fleeing the scene. During the proceedings, an unnamed woman who had previously been involved in an affair with Cashman testified that he arrived at her residence that evening and informed her partner, “I’ve done Joey”. The underlying reason for the shooting was not determined, and Mr Nee declined to cooperate with law enforcement. Following his conviction, Cashman declined to exit his cell to attend his sentencing at Manchester Crown Court, which subsequently led to a successful advocacy effort for a legislative amendment. Under the revised law, an offender who refuses to be present at their sentencing may now incur an additional two years in prison.