Olivia Pratt-Korbel’s death was the third fatal shooting in one week on Merseyside, and detectives scrambled to find those responsible, with Thomas Cashman ultimately behind bars
The mum of murdered nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel has urged communities to help police fight gun crime, almost three years on from her daughter’s fatal shooting. The innocent schoolgirl was shot in her own home by Thomas Cashman, as he chased a rival drug dealer through her front door on August 22, 2022.
Little Olivia, who would be 12-years-old now, had run from her bed telling her mum she was ‘scared’ after hearing gunshots on her street in Dovecot, Liverpool. Speaking ahead of the third anniversary of her death on Friday, Olivia’s mum Cheryl Korbel, 49, said: “My little girl was only nine years old when she was shot in her own home.
“She had her whole life ahead of her and the pain of her loss is indescribable. It has been three years since I last heard her laugh, put her to bed or held her hand but the pain of her loss still feels like it happened yesterday.
“I will never see her grow up, get married, have children of her own or fulfil her dreams and that is devastating.”
Olivia’s death was the third fatal shooting that week in Liverpool. Just 24 hours before, Ashley Dale, 28, had also been killed in her home in Old Swan, by a gunman who was sent to execute her boyfriend. And Sam Rimmer, 22, had been shot dead by gunmen on e-bikes as he walked home in Dingle on August 16. His murder remains unsolved to this day.
In the wake of the three murders, Merseyside Police received special funding from the Home Office to improve relations with communities. It aimed to break the wall of silence and ‘no grass culture’ in Merseyside to fight crime with increased community intelligence.
Now three years on detectives in Merseyside say they have seen a 300 percent increase in tip offs from the local residents. The force also said the scheme has led to more than 5,300 arrests, the seizure of around 630kg of Class A and B drugs, more than 260 offensive weapons, 28 firearms and about £2.5 million in cash and assets.
Backing the project this week, Cheryl said: “Evolve was created to help prevent further tragedies and other families from having to endure the pain we feel every single day. “While it’s making a difference we need your help. To keep our communities safe, if you know anything about criminality, please speak out.”
Last week, Cheryl visited Olivia’s Memorial Tree with Tim Edwards, whose daughter Elle Edwards, 26, was killed in a Christmas Eve shooting at a pub – just months after Olivia’s death. Tim said the families had got to know each other since the tragedies. He said: “It’s the club that you don’t want to be in and we’re all in that club, so we’re always looking out for each other.”
He added: “Elle should still be here, living her life and making plans for her future. We can’t change what happened to her but we can help stop it from happening to someone else. “If you know something, please come forward. Your courage could save a life and spare another family the pain we live with every day.”
Ashley Dale’s mum Julie said the last three years had been a “living nightmare”, but said she felt “lucky” that her daughter’s killers had faced justice. She said: “We count ourselves one of the ‘lucky’ ones as we have been able to get justice for Ashley. “Without the support of the community, who knows what position we would be in now?
“Sadly, there are families who are still waiting for their justice knowing that their loved one’s killers are still out there walking our streets. No parent should have to go through this. Losing a child in such an horrific way and knowing that someone knows who has committed these crimes is just unbearable.”
Sam Rimmer’s mum, Jo, is one of those still appealing for her information on her son’s killers. She said: “If you know something and you are reading this, please, please speak up. “Sam was shot in his back. He was turned away from his killers. This image haunts me. In his final moments, was he scared? Was he in pain?
“I died the day Sam did. I function but I do not live. I know the pain of losing Sam will never go but if I see justice for his murder, maybe the family and I can begin to move forward and remember the happy memories of Sam.”