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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Jonathan Humphries & Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas

Olivia Pratt-Korbel's sister yelled 'she's dying' and recalls 'worst screams ever'

Olivia Pratt-Korbel's sister was heard screaming down the phone "where are they? she's dying" moments after the nine-year-old was shot, a jury has heard.

Manchester Crown Court heard today from Paul Abraham, who was alongside the "intended target" Joseph Nee when the fatal shots were fired in Dovecot, Liverpool on August 22 last year.

Thomas Cashman, 34, from West Derby denies being the gunman and any involvement in the shooting of Olivia, Nee, and Olivia's mum Cheryl Korbel who was also wounded by the same bullet that killed her daughter.

The jury was told the bullet that killed Olivia went through the door of the Korbel family home after Nee barged his way inside to escape.

One witness, Adele Maher, told police the gunman was dressed in “all black from head to toe”.

Thomas Cashman, 34, from West Derby denies being the gunman and any involvement in the shooting (PA)

She said: "He was running with an arm stretched out in front of him. Seconds later I heard another two loud noises followed by the worst screaming I’ve ever heard in my life. I think it was women screaming hysterically, out of control. I knew something bad had happened.

“We all just stood around in shock. I could heard [Chloe Korbel, Olivia's sister] on the phone to someone. She sounded distraught. She was saying 'where are they, where are they she’s dying.”

She said her family were “too terrified to go out”. She added: “The male just appeared as a black figure. I couldn’t describe him in any more detail.”

Another witness, Lisa Boylan described seeing the gunman chasing Nee.

She said: “I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I heard the lad in grey shouting ‘don’t lad don’t lad don’t’.

“The lad in black with the gun did not reply. He followed the lad in grey clothing onto the other side of the road.

“The male with the gun glared at me as he ran past. It scared me.”

She also told the court about how she saw a little girl in a bloodied nightie being carried by police.

She said: "There were lots of people in the street and that front garden. I saw a female child with blonde hair being carried out by police officers. She wore a white nightie which had a lot of blood over it.

“She appeared floppy. I knew immediately the little girl had been shot.”

Ms Boylan said she saw Olivia's mum, Cheryl Korbel, come out of the house. She said: "She was shouting she wanted to go to Alder Hey with her child. She was bleeding also. Her arm was bandaged up.

“The whole incident lasted approximately 90 seconds from first hearing the gunshot to going into the house. I think there must have been seven shots fired in total. It was dark outside, but I did get a good look at the male in grey and the male with the gun.

“I probably wouldn't be able to recognise the man again due to the balaclava. The whole incident has made me feel sick.”

Cashman has 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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