Hardened criminals broke Liverpool's decades long 'no grass' code in the wake of the murder of Olivia Pratt Korbel, senior police say. The senseless killing of nine-year-old Olivia 'crossed a line' and led to members of the city's underworld to approach police with information.
New details regarding the murder of the nine-year-old schoolgirl on August 22 last year has been revealed following the end of Thomas Cashman’s four week trial, the Liverpool Echo reports. Cashman, 34, of Grenadier Drive, West Derby, was found guilty of Olivia's murder on Thursday, March 30.
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The drug dealer was also found guilty of the attempted murder of Joseph Nee, wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm to Olivia's mum Cheryl Korbel, and two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. Cashman will be sentenced on Monday. Olivia died after Cashman fired a bullet through the front door of her family home on Kingsheath Avenue, Dovecot, injuring her mum and striking Olivia in the chest. Cashman had been chasing 35-year-old convicted drug dealer and burglar Joseph Nee, who barged into the Korbel home while fleeing for his life.
In a recent interview with the ECHO, temporary Assistant Chief Constable Mark Kameen said the senselessness of a nine-year-old being shot in her own home resulted in a huge amount of public information. The court heard more than 800 "intelligence logs" were received during the course of their inquiries.
The case was also built around a star witness - a woman whose house Cashman fled to after the killing. The former lover of Cashman, who has been given lifelong anonymity, held up under the defence's cross-examinations as she described how the killer visited her on the night of the murder. At one point she told the court: "I've ruined my life for this."
Hardened criminals, who for decades had stuck to a "no grass culture" mantra, were among those to come forward with information that led police to Cashman. ACC Kameen said: "I relate the no grass culture not to the communities of Merseyside.
"Our communities have stood next to us and provided information. Our successes will have community information either at the heart of them or through them. The no grass culture is limited to those involved in serious and organised crime. It’s their code, their mantra. What we saw with the events in August were comments saying a line had been crossed.
"Criminals who would normally adhere to a ridiculous code of silence stepped forward with information." ACC Kameen added: "The events of August in terms of the wave of public support was phenomenal and it’s to the community’s credit."
Olivia, described by her family as a "unique, chatty, nosey little girl who broke the mould when she was born," was the third victim of gun crime in seven days during a terrible August week of violence in Merseyside. Her death followed the murders of Sam Rimmer, 22, who was shot dead in Dingle, and Ashley Dale, a 28-year-old council worker gunned down in her own home in Old Swan. Merseyside recorded two more gun fatalities before the end of last year, when nan Jackie Rutter, 53, was shot at her Moreton home on October 30, and Elle Edwards, 26, was shot while celebrating on Christmas Eve at a Wallasey pub.
ACC Kameen and Deputy Chief Constable Chris Green told the Echo before August the region hadn’t seen a firearms discharge-related homicide for 13 months. The senior officers also said last year there were 49 discharges inMerseyside - nearly a 50% decrease since the previous years.
But ACC Kameen said: "The numbers tell one story, however, we’re not here about the numbers, 46 is too many. It might be the lowest in 22 years, but if you live on the streets where this is happening, what would you be saying?
"Would you be saying ‘Merseyside Police, it’s really good what you’re doing’? No, you’d be saying ‘a person has been killed in my street’. We need to work an awful amount harder. We’re proud of our figures, but acutely aware there is an awful lot more to do."
DCC Green said he wants to see organised crime "obliterated" from communities so community cohesion can be built to the point where "it becomes so resilient criminals can’t get a foothold". And Merseyside Police hopes to do this through working collaboratively with communities. DCS Kameen said: "The communities have worked so well with us, not just since August but for several years.
"We need our communities side by side with us. Just give us information and have confidence and trust with our ability to keep you safe. We’re hell bent on getting weapons off the street and eradicating serious and organised crime. We will stamp it out, build stronger communities and move forward with those communities."
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