Olivia Pratt-Korbel is seen beaming and joking in heartbreaking final videos of the youngster released by her family on the day her killer was sentenced to life behind bars.
Thomas Cashman, 34, was sentenced to life with a minimum of 42 years in jail at Manchester Crown Court today.
He was found guilty of gunning the nine-year-old schoolgirl at her home in Dovecot, Merseyside on August 22, last year.
In the tearjerking videos, Olivia can be seen turning what appears to be her family’s living room into a cat walk whilst being filmed strutting back and forth, whipping her hair about.
In the next clip she can be seen beaming and laughing as she plays with a vacuum cleaner.
She laughs out loud, delighted, as she uses it to put a scrunchie on her hair - similar to an online viral trend.
The shooting of Olivia was the third death by gun crime across the region in the same week, Sky News reported.
Cashman had been trying to kill convicted burglar Joseph Nee, 36, at the time and after shooting him his gun jammed, leading to Nee running for the family’s home.
The gunman tried to chase Nee inside, and opened fire, with one bullet going through mum Cheryl’s hand and into Olivia’s chest, killing her.
In the chaos after, both men fled.
Cashman refused to attend court for his sentencing, claiming the trial was turning “into a circus”.
He claimed to have become “concerned” after he became aware that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) sang the classic Queen hit ‘We are the Champions’ after his guilty verdict was passed.
Defence barrister John Cooper KC told the court that when the incident was raised with the officials, they claimed they were "entitled to".
Mr Cooper told the judge: “He has been spoken to and been given certain advice but he is concerned that the matter is turning into a circus.”
Justice Amanda Yip said she regarded Cashman's lack of attendance as “disrespectful” to not only the court but those interested in proceedings, including the family of the deceased.
She told the court that Cashman would be sentenced in his absence.
In an emotional statement made to Manchester Crown Court after Cashman was sentenced, Olivia’s mum said: “I cannot get my head around how Cashman continued to shoot after hearing the terrifying screams.
“The utter devastation he has caused. He doesn’t care, how could he?”
Following the sentencing, in a second statement made outside of court, she said that the family’s own life sentence had only just begun.
Speaking outside court, Olivia’s mother Cheryl Korbel, 46, said: "She was my baby, she had amazing qualities and knew what she wanted in life.
"Everyone adored her. She was the baby of our family … justice has prevailed and I cannot begin to express our relief.
“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.”
