A woman who had a "fling" with murder accused Thomas Cashman said claims her boyfriend owed him £25,000 were "absolutely ridiculous".
The "key witness" has given evidence claiming that Cashman turned up at her bedside without warning on the night nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel was killed, asking for a "pair of pants".
The schoolgirl died after a bullet passed through the front door of her family home on Kingsheath Avenue, Dovecot, then through the right hand of her mum, Cheryl Korbel, before striking her in the chest. A jury has heard the gunman was chasing 36-year-old Joseph Nee, who barged into the Korbel home while fleeing for his life, at around 10pm on August 22 last year.
READ MORE: Thomas Cashman murder trial resumes as man accused of shooting schoolgirl Olivia Pratt-Korbel
Cashman, of Grenadier Drive in West Derby, denies Olivia's murder and any involvement in the shootings. Today his ex-lover was cross-examined by his counsel, Professor John Cooper, KC, about her role in the case.
The jury had heard the woman called her on-off partner, Paul Russell, to her address after Cashman arrived. As part of a tense exchange, Mr Cooper asked: "Were you aware the defendant had been supplying Paul with cannabis to sell?"
The witness responded: "No he certainly wasn’t, hahaha you’re a funny man. I’d like to know what your client’s telling you, because you haven’t got a clue."
Mr Cooper suggested Russell was "in debt" to Cashman, to which the woman responded: "He most certainly was not." Mr Cooper went further, suggesting: "Paul was in debt to Tommy Cashman the sum of about £25,000?".
The witness responded: "Wow. That’s absolutely ridiculous. Tommy Cashman never dealt with stuff like that, that was too poxy for him. You’re making me laugh. I’m enjoying myself here now."
After a short break, Mr Cooper resumed his line of questioning, putting to the witness: "One way of avoiding that debt was to get Tommy Cashman off the scene?”
She replied: "No. Tommy Cashman took himself off the scene."
The jury heard the woman was initially arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, but she told the jury she "saw herself as a victim" and was "absolutely petrified" when she was taken into custody.
She told the court: "I was petrified. I was getting made out as if I was assisting an offender like I had done something wrong. I’ve got woken by a guy coming into my room after doing a dreadful thing, putting my life in danger."
However she also said she was "sitting here for the little girl". Breaking down in tears, she told the jury today: "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. They should all be ashamed of themselves who are supporting him as well, every last one of them."
As well as denying Olivia's murder, Cashman denies the attempted murder of Nee, as well as wounding Cheryl Korbel with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm. He also pleaded not guilty to two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, namely a 9mm calibre self-loading pistol and a 0.3 calibre revolver.
The trial continues.
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