Olivia Pratt-Korbel’s mother has revealed that her daughter was due to have her hair cut five days after her death and wanted to donate the hair to the Princess Trust.
Cheryl Korbel, 46, read a touching tribute to Olivia in court, and brought with her a teddy which was made from her daughter’s pyjamas into the witness box.
Thomas Cashman, 34, who was found guilty last week of murdering the nine-year-old and the wounding with intent of her mother, refused to appear in the dock at Manchester Crown Court for his sentencing.
She described the nine-year-old as a “girly girl” who “had her own style” and was a talktative child who was nicknamed Ms Korbel’s “shadow”, as she spent a lot of time with her mother.
Ms Korbel said: “One thing I miss the most is hearing her say ‘mum’. I just miss hearing her voice. It’s just so quiet. I would do and give anything in the world to hear her chatting to me.”
She said Olivia would never get to make her Holy Communion, wear a prom dress or have a 16th birthday party.
She said: “All that promise for her future so cruelly taken away.
“Now I have to drive to the cemetery to be close to my baby daughter.
“I tell her she will live on in my heart, she will always be with us. My little shadow.”
Olivia’s mother also recounted the horrifying moment her daughter was shot and that she was unable to give CPR to her properly because she had been injured.
She added: “My worst nightmare was being separated from Liv, not being with her when she needed me the most.
“I was the first person to hold my baby girl and as her mum I should have been the last.
“I cannot get my head around how Cashman continued to shoot after hearing the terrified screams and utter devastation he had caused.
“He doesn’t care. His actions have left the biggest hole in our lives.
“That man set out to do a job and he didn’t care about anyone else or who got in the way. He certainly couldn’t own it either.”
Ms Korbel said her grandmother had been admitted to hospital recently and a couple of weeks ago was brought home for end-of-life care.
She told the court she “held out long enough to hear that coward had been found guilty” but passed away last night.
Additional reporting by PA
