By Tony O’Reilly-
A demented drug dealer was convicted on Thursday of killing a 9-year-old girl in the English city of Liverpool when he fired at a man who was trying to push his way into her house to escape the gunman.
Thomas Cashman, 34, (pictured)was found guilty by a jury at Manchester Crown Court in the fatal shooting of Olivia Pratt-Korbel on Aug. 22, 2022, as her mother tried to prevent the intended victim from barging into their home. He will be sentenced on Monday.
There were audible gasps, with people breaking down in tears in court as the verdict was announced.
Cashman tearfully turned to his family in the public gallery behind, shaking his head.
One of his relatives could be heard saying “appeal it” and they left the courtroom shouting and swearing.
During the trial, the jury heard 36-year-old Nee, who has a number of previous convictions, was the intended target of the attack.
Cashman, who made up to £5,000 per week dealing cannabis in Liverpool, had been lying in wait for his fellow drug dealer at about 22:00 BST, the jury was told.
Cashman, who was also found guilty of wounding Ms Korbel, the attempted murder of Joseph Nee and possession of firearms with intent to endanger life, will be sentenced on Monday.
Cashman admitted to being a “high-level” cannabis dealer but denied being the gunman. Olivia’s mother, Cheryl Korbel, and the target of the attack, Joseph Nee, were also injured in the shooting.
“Thomas Cashman is a ruthless criminal who recklessly pursued another man, with no consideration of the consequences,” prosecutor Maria Corr said after the verdict. “He refused to display any guilt or remorse, denying his involvement throughout and putting Olivia’s family through the torment of a lengthy trial.”
The case has shaken the city of Liverpool, a city of almost 500,000 people in northwestern England, amid concerns about increasing violence linked to drug trafficking. Police put out repeated appeals for anyone with information about the shooting to come forward anonymously as authorities sought to shield witnesses from possible retribution.
Hundreds attended Olivia’s funeral, with mourners pairing black outfits with pink jackets, ties and ribbons to honour the girl with her favourite colour.
Authorities said the tragedy began when Cashman tried to kill Nee over a drug debt. As Nee tried to escape by forcing his way into the Korbel home, Cheryl Korbel barred the door but the gunman fired indiscriminately, with one bullet passing through the mother’s hand and killing Olivia.
The court heard Nee and his family had their enemies and it was not the first time he had been targeted in a shooting.
Nee had been shot at on 8 August, two weeks before the shooting in which Olivia was killed.
The court had hear during an earlier hearing that the shootings came after a feud between two families.
There had been a “background of hostility” between Nee’s family and another.
The case highlights some of the dangers of a lifestyle of drug dealing, and the effect it can have on innocent lives.
Drug dealing often begins with the allure of earning quick cash through the exploitation of addicts, but it often ends in tears, with debt, jail, and murder usually going together.