Merseyside must be “more resolute, more determined, and collectively raise our game” in a bid to end violence that devastated communities last year, according to the region’s police and crime commissioner.
Our area was rocked by a series of five murders in the last 12 months, despite Merseyside recording its lowest rate of firearms discharges for more than two decades. Earlier this week, Connor Chapman was found guilty of the murder of one of four women and girls killed in the last year, 26-year-old Elle Edwards.
In her annual report, Emily Spurrell, Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner said the killings across the region had marked “devastating, unthinkable lows” for our communities.
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Reflecting on the work undertaken by her office and the force, Ms Spurrell said progress had been made in reducing firearm discharges and knife crime, while organised crime groups had been disrupted. She wrote: “However, there is no escaping this past year has also seen some devastating, unthinkable lows.
“The five firearm-enabled murders that took the lives of Sam Rimmer, Ashley Dale, Olivia Pratt-Korbel, Jacqui Rutter and Elle Edwards rocked our entire region and reinforced that there is still a long way to go.”
Earlier this year, Thomas Cashman was jailed for life with a minimum of 42 years for the murder of nine-year-old Olivia at her home in Dovecot. Her death came 24 hours after Knowsley Council worker Ashley Dale, 28, was killed at her home in Old Swan.
Two men charged in connection with Ashley's death, Joseph Peers and James Withaman, appeared in court on Friday, June 30. Police said their charges have been updated to include a charge of conspiracy to murder Lee Harrison.
In October 2022, Jackie Rutter, 53, was gunned down on the doorstep of her home in Moreton, Wirral. Only two months earlier, Sam Rimmer, 22, was shot dead on Lavrock Bank, in Dingle.
Reflecting on the killings, Ms Spurrell said those tasked with fighting crime must ensure they double their efforts to avoid a repeat of a heartbreaking last 12 months. She wrote: “As well as these devastating incidents, we also saw people lose their lives to knife crime, serious violence and as a result of male violence during the past year.
“These appalling murders show we must be more resolute, more determined, and collectively raise our game against those who seek to bring misery and suffering to our communities and those who would inflict violence on women and girls, ensuring they face justice.”
The report backs up remarks made by the man who led the investigation into Olivia’s murder.
Last month, Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Mark Kameen, told a scrutiny panel chaired by Ms Spurrell: “It’s absolutely right while we talk about it being the lowest in 21 years, significantly reduced and sustained, we all know the events of August last year, the terrible events and the whole of last year we had five firearms enabled homicides, and therefore the force absolutely accepts there’s a great deal of work to get those numbers down and sustained but we’ve still got lots to do when we’ve got people dying because of firearms discharges, particularly children and women.”
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