Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
TV to show real footage of hunt for Olivia killer
C4 crime series to be ‘raw, heartbreaking viewing’
REAL footage of the police hunt for the gunman who killed little Olivia Pratt-Korbel will air as part of a true crime documentary.
The nine-year-old died last August when drug dealer Thomas Cashman fired a shot into her Liverpool home during what was described as a “ruthless pursuit” of a rival gang member.
Last month, evil Cashman, 34, was sentenced to a life term with a minimum of 42 years for Olivia’s murder.
And now footage of the search for him will feature in a Channel 4 series following Merseyside’s Major Crime Unit as it investigates a number of highprofile gun murders in the city.
A source said: “Channel 4 were filming with Merseyside Police last year when Olivia was killed on her doorstep and they had full access during their hunt for Cashman.”
The programme is being made by Liverpool-based LA Productions, behind many of Cracker screenwriter Jimmy McGovern’s dramas – such as Broken, starring Sean Bean.
The TV source added: “It’s all very raw and will make for heartbreaking viewing.”
A record reward of up to £200,000 had been offered during the month-long manhunt to catch
Cashman, who had 18 previous convictions. His intended target was 35-year-old convicted drug dealer Joseph Nee, the trial at Manchester crown court heard. Nee forced his way into Olivia’s home in the city’s Dovecot, area as he fled his attacker. A shot Cashman fired at the front door went through the wrist of Olivia’s mum, Cheryl Pratt-Korbel, and into the girl’s chest. Cheryl, 46, moved out of the home after being haunted by the memory of Olivia’s murder.
The horror came in a sevenday period in which Liverpool was rocked by two other fatal shootings – followed by yet more killings in October and December.
Cheryl is calling for a new law, backed by Labour Leader Keir Starmer, forcing killers to show up in court after Cashman
refused to appear for sentencing. And she last month told us of a plan for a memorial garden to Olivia as she said: “I want violence to stop.”
Channel 4 said: “LA Productions/Channel 4 have been filming with Merseyside Police since 2021 for an observational documentary series that will feature a range of cases.
“We’re not in a position to talk about any specific cases as they are ongoing and some are not resolved.”