A jury heard how the next-door neighbour of schoolgirl Olivia Pratt-Korbel rushed to perform CPR on the dying nine-year-old after she was shot in the chest.
Rob Lamb was at home on Kingsheath Avenue, Dovecot, watching Manchester United vs Liverpool FC when he heard a series of loud bangs outside. An agreed statement from Mr Lamb was read to the jury at Manchester Crown Court today where Thomas Cashman, 34, is standing trial for Olivia's murder, which he denies any involvement in.
The jury earlier heard that Olivia was fatally wounded by a bullet which passed through the front door of her family home, struck her mum, Cheryl Korbel, in the right hand and then hit her in the chest. The gunman had been chasing a man called Joseph Nee, 36, who barged in through the front door while fleeing for his life.
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The 10 men and two women of the jury heard that Mr Lamb's partner, Hayley Freeman, was next door having a cup of tea with Cheryl Korbel when the shooting began. In a statement read to the court by Henry Riding, junior counsel for the prosecution, he said: “The match had just finished, it was dark outside and I was sat in the front living room. I heard two loud bangs outside. I heard another bang and a scream coming from Cheryl’s house.
“I ran out the house and went round to Cheryl’s. There was a male shouting ‘help me’ and for someone to ‘give me a phone’. He was saying he had been shot, trying to get up but struggling.
“I went inside the house, [Patricia Cowhig] and Hayley were in the living room on their phones. I was told the baby had been shot. I heard Cheryl over her saying ‘stay with me baby’.
“I think she then stopped breathing and the operator talked me through giving CPR."
Another neighbour, Patricia Cowhig, was also in the Korbel family home when Olivia was shot. Her statement said: "I remember a male trying to push against the door trying to get inside. Cheryl was using her full body weight trying to shut it.
“He managed to get in the hallway and was laid on his side. Cheryl was shouting get the f*** out. I think he was saying call the police. I noticed Cheryl, she came into the living room and said 'I’ve been shot'.
“Seconds later she was shouting Olivia and ran up the stairs. Olivia was lying there. Olivia had come out of her room and come down the stairs.
“I heard her say 'mum, I’m scared'. The next time I saw her was when I took towels up to stop the bleeding. Rob Lamb was starting CPR. [Chloe Korbel] was in the living room totally distraught."
The court heard armed response officers PC Daniel Cooper and PC Claire Metcalf were dispatched to the scene after 999 calls reporting gunshots in the area. They arrived on Kingsheath Avenue around 10.11pm, where they were confronted with the chaotic scenes outside the Korbel home and went inside to find Mr Lamb performing CPR on Olivia, with a 999 operator giving instructions over the phone on loudspeaker mode.
In a statement read to the jury, PC Cooper said: "I immediately noticed a small bullet entry wound to her chest area. My initial thought was we needed more room to help Olivia…
“As I bent down to pick her up I noticed her eyes were open and her gaze was staring into nothing. Her lips were blue. Her body was limp. It is then I decided Olivia needed immediate medical intervention far beyond what I could offer.
“I picked Olivia up into my arms and carried her down the stairs.”
Olivia was rushed to the nearby Alder Hey Children's Hospital by the two officers in the back of their patrol car, but was declared dead by medics at 11.24pm. The court heard Nee was picked up from the street outside before the officers arrived by a number of associates in an Audi SUV style car, and taken to Whiston Hospital.
Cheryl Korbel was taken to Aintree Hospital a short time later by ambulance.
Cashman, of Grenadier Drive in West Derby, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Olivia, the attempted murder of Joseph Nee and wounding Cheryl Korbel with intent. He also denies two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, namely a 9mm self-loading handgun and a 0.3 calibre revolver.
The trial continues.
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