Olivia Pratt-Korbel killer Thomas Cashman appeals to have sentence reduced

The killer of Olivia Pratt-Korbel, Thomas Cashman, has appealed to have his 42-year sentence reduced.

Cashman, 34, who was given 42 years in jail for the murder of nine-year-old Olivia has made the appeal less than three weeks after being sentenced.

The killer sparked outrage after refusing to go into the dock during his trial to hear his sentence, on April 3rd.

The news of Cashman’s appeal will come as a blow to Olivia’s family and friends, including members of the community. He fired the fatal shot which killed Olivia at her home in Dovecot, Liverpool, last August.

A Court of Appeal official confirmed the news yesterday, saying: “We received an application for leave to appeal the claimant’s sentence yesterday.” No application has been made in relation to his conviction of murder.

A court judge will now decide if the criminal should be given the opportunity to appeal. If he is successful, the case will be heard by three judges sitting at the Court of Appeal Criminal Division.

His trial heard how he ‘lay in wait’ with two guns to attack Joseph Nee, 36, and when his intended victim ran towards the Korbels’ open front door, Cashman followed in pursuit, and fired.

Olivia’s mum Cheryl Korbel, 46, was hit in the wrist by a bullet as she tried to keep the door shut. The same bullet then hit her daughter, who was hiding behind her. Her last words were: “Mum, I’m scared.”

After Cashman was jailed for life at Manchester Crown Court, Cheryl said: “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. Everyone adored her.”

Mrs Justice Amanda Yip said she had considered handing down a whole-life order, meaning Cashman would never be released. But she told how she decided it was not merited because the planning and premeditation in his attack was not directed at Olivia.

Justice Yip said the killer was ‘not of previous good character’, had made it clear he was a criminal and had ‘demonstrated no remorse’ during his trial, adding: “His failure to come into court is further evidence of that.”

Justice Yip said Cashman ‘relentlessly pursued’ Nee into Olivia’s home, where the schoolgirl had left her bed after hearing the commotion, adding: “She came downstairs to seek the comfort of her mother. In a terrible twist of fate, she had stepped directly into the line of fire.”

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is among key figures supporting the Mirror campaign demanding a change in the law to compel killers to be in court.