Olivia Pratt-Korbel's family shed tears of relief after hearing Thomas Cashman sentenced to a minimum of 42 years in prison.
The 34-year-old, of Grenadier Drive in West Derby, was unanimously found guilty of murdering the nine-year-old schoolgirl by a jury last week. Olivia was shot dead in her own home on Kingsheath Avenue in Dovecot in one of the most horrific crimes in Merseyside's history.
Cashman was due to return to court to be sentenced this afternoon, Monday, but refused to appear in the dock to learn his fate - despite the judge telling him to. Professor John Cooper KC, defending, said his client was "concerned that the matter was turning into a circus" and claimed he had heard representatives of the Crown Prosecution Service "loudly" singing 'We are the Champions' after the verdict was delivered.
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After Justice Amanda Yip explained the guidelines to Manchester Crown Court she sentenced Cashman to life in prison with a minimum term of 42 years behind bars for Olivia's murder.
As the verdict was delivered gasps were heard from Olivia's family in the public gallery, with one man saying "yes". Chloe, Olivia's 18-year-old sister, put an arm around her mum - Cheryl Korbel - who dabbed her eyes with a tissue.
None of Cashman's family were in attendance.
Sentencing, Justice Amanda Yip said: "The killing of Olivia Pratt-Korbel was an offence that shocked the nation. Olivia’s name is likely to be remembered for many years, but her name should not only be remembered for her terrible last moments.
"Her family have spoken of Olivia in life, and of the hopes and dreams for her future so cruelly snatched away. It is plain that Olivia was a lovely little girl who brightened the lives of her family and friends - they have suffered an unimaginable loss they must carry for the rest of their lives."
Mr Cooper earlier said in his submissions that there was "no intention" to kill Olivia. He meanwhile argued there had been "no significant planning" in his plot to shoot his intended target, Joseph Nee.
Manchester Crown Square Crown Court previously heard during a three-and-a-half-week trial that Cashman "lay in wait" for Nee while armed with two loaded guns as he watched a Liverpool FC v Manchester United football match on the television at his friend Timmy Naylor's house on Finch Lane. When he left the address with another man, Paul Abraham, the gunman approached them from behind and opened fire with a self-loading Glock-style pistol.
A chilling piece of CCTV footage showed Mr Abraham running for his life as two loud bangs rang out. Convicted burglar and drug dealer Nee was shot in the midriff at this point and stumbled to the floor as a result of his injuries.
David McLachlan KC, prosecuting, described how Cashman had "murder on his mind" and stood over the helpless man and attempted to discharge the firearm again as he begged: "Please don't. Don't lad".
But the gun malfunctioned, and Nee was able to escape. Cashman however continued his "ruthless pursuit" as he fled towards the Korbel family home.
Cheryl, 46, alarmed by the sound of gunfire had stepped out of her home to investigation, rushing back indoors when she saw Nee running towards her and away from Cashman - who was dressed all in black with his face covered. She then tussled with the gunman's intended target in an attempt to keep her front door shut and to keep him out of the property, but was unable to fully close it as it had been left on the latch in order to allow the neighbours to let themselves in for a cup of tea.
The assailant fired another shot with a second, backup weapon - a 0.3 caliber revolver - at this point. This was the shot which claimed Olivia's life, the bullet passing through the door and travelling through her mum's hand before striking her in the chest.
The schoolgirl had been upstairs in bed, but was heard to say "mummy, I'm scared" as she ran to the bottom of the stairs to her mum having been startled by the commotion. With Nee by now inside, Cashman forced his arm around the door and fired one final shot which became lodged in the doorframe.
Olivia was scooped up by the first police officer to arrive at the scene and rushed to Alder Hey Children's Hospital after being critically injured, but was pronounced dead shortly before 11.30pm. There were emotional scenes in court as Cheryl recounted the tragedy in a video interview with police, which was played to the jury.
In it, she said: "I heard the baby screaming, that’s when I turned round and spotted her sat at the bottom of the stairs. I couldn’t keep her awake.
"I knew she’d gone. I knew she’d gone."
Nee was bundled into a car by his associates and taken to Whiston Hospital, later being transferred to Aintree Hospital after suffering gunshot wounds to the chest and lower abdomen. Cashman meanwhile escaped the scene of the shooting by leaping through back gardens before making his way to the home of a woman with whom he had previously had an affair.
She was woken by him standing at her bedside before she phoned her boyfriend Paul Russell, who then arrived at the house. The witness - who cannot be named for legal reasons - reported hearing Cashman make an apparent confession to her partner at the doorstep, telling him: "I've done Joey."
He was then given a change of clothing before being driven back to his Citroen Berlingo van, which he had earlier parked on Aspes Road, by Russell. A pair of Under Armour tracksuit bottoms which he was handed at this time were later found at his sister's home on Mab Lane with his DNA and traces of gunpowder residue on them.
Giving evidence from the witness box, the woman told the trial: "I’m sorry, I can’t forgive anyone who has hurt any child. If he was any sort of man he’d just f****** own it.
"I can’t believe he’s making the family go through what they’re going through. It’s a child, it’s a child.
"She can never go home ever again. It breaks my heart."
The attacker was also identified to have worn distinctive Monterrain trackies which matched a pair owned by Cashman. He had been observed on CCTV making a number of trips past Finch Lane on the day in question, including an apparent attempt to carry out the shooting at around 4pm that afternoon having spotted Nee's van outside - but this was thwarted after the then 35-year-old left to visit Screwfix.
Cashman however claimed in his evidence that he had no involvement in the shooting and was counting £10,000 in cash and "smoking a spliff" at his friend Craig Byrne's house on Snowberry Road at the time. He had admitted being a "high level" drug dealer who made up to £5,000 per week selling cannabis, and his various trips around the area throughout the day were apparently concerned with his involvement in the supply of the class B substance.
Meanwhile, Cashman accused the woman with whom he had had the fling of attempting to frame him for the murder as she was a "woman scorned". He suggested that her boyfriend Paul Russell owed him a £25,000 debt and questioned whether she had been motivated by the possibility of reward money.
He told jurors: "It shows you the lengths a woman who’s got something in for someone would go to. This is how low they go to."
The defendant also stated he had "no problems" with the Nee family and counted them as friends. The father-of-two, who was defended by Professor John Cooper KC, said on the witness box: "I'm not a killer, I'm a dad."
Cashman was also found guilty of attempting to murder Joseph Nee, wounding with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm against Cheryl Korbel and two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. Forty-one-year-old Russell, of Snowberry Drive, will be sentenced at a later date at Liverpool Crown Court after admitting assisting an offender in relation to his involvement.
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