The brother of Olivia Pratt-Korbel shared the moment he "knew it was over" after his little sister was shot.
Ryan Korbel was at home with his two sisters, his mum and two neighbours on Kingsheath Avenue, Dovecot, when a gunman opened fire in the street outside, at around 10pm on August 22 last year. Thomas Cashman, 34, of Grenadier Drive in West Derby, has been charged with her murder but denies any involvement in the shootings.
A jury at Manchester Crown Court today (Friday) saw a video recording of Merseyside Police detectives interviewing Mr Korbel the day after his sister was shot dead. She was hit by a bullet that travelled through the door of the family home, struck their mum, Cheryl Korbel, in the right wrist and then struck the nine-year-old in the chest.
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The jury has been told the gunman was in a "relentless pursuit" of 36-year-old Joseph Nee when he opened fire, who despite being shot managed to run along Kingsheath Drive and barge through the door of the Korbel family home.
Mr Korbel said he heard a series of bangs outside before hearing his sister get out of bed and run down the stairs, screaming "Mummy I'm scared."
He said: "I was lying in bed, I heard three bangs. They were loud, very very loud. The next thing I heard footsteps on the landing, it was Olivia running down the stairs screaming ‘mum I’m scared’.
“My mum, I wasn’t aware at the time, but apparently my mum had gone to open the door to see what the bangs was. Olivia was about four or five steps up from the bottom. My mum was wrestling with the door, it was swinging open and shut. One shot went off.
“My mum and the fella who I believe was Joseph Nee then got the door shut, but because the latch was shut it wasn’t closed properly.
“I seen an arm come round the door, a black handgun. Another shot went off, it could have been another two I can’t remember. My mum was in hysterics. My mum had Olivia brought a few more steps up the stairs.
“Blood was coming out of my mum’s wrist. The lad who I believe to be Joey Nee was sat on the front step. I couldn’t move, I was helpless, just stood there, I couldn’t do a thing.”
On the video, Mr Korbel became visibly upset and put his head in his hands He said: “I didn’t know my sister had been hit at this point. [Nee] collapsed in the middle of the road. I told a neighbour ‘let him bleed’, I didn’t care at that point. I went to see Olivia, that’s when mum passed her to me.
“I kept pressure on her chest. Then I gave her back to my mum and went outside to see where he was.
“A car come speeding down the road, a big black SUV. I didn’t know what was going on, whether they’d come to finish him off or what. My mum was stood on the stairs with the baby. Two lads got out the car, picked him up and got off.”
The court heard how Rob Lamb, a next door neighbour, rushed round after hearing the bangs and began performing CPR on Olivia. Mr Korbel told detectives: " I didn’t know why until I was on top of her and seen the hole. [Mum] took Liv back off me.
“I didn’t know what was going on, I just wanted the ambulance to turn up. That’s when Rob, my next door neighbour's husband, came out Every time I went the stairs he was giving CPR and he wouldn’t stop. Her lips were going blue, she wasn’t even bleeding out the gunshot wound. I knew it was over.”
When asked more about what Olivia said as she ran down the stairs, Mr Korbel added; "She literally said I’m scared. Mummy I’m scared. I heard a few steps, I heard her going downstairs. I heard her say another two times I’m scared I’m scared and then everything else has kicked off.”
Cashman 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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