'I just hope she's proud': Olivia Pratt-Korbel's mum on sentencing law change

The mother of murdered Olivia Pratt-Korbel has pushed for a change in the law that will force all criminals to attend their sentencing, ITV News' Chloe Keedy reports

The mother of murdered nine-year-old, Olivia Pratt-Korbel, has told ITV News she hopes her daughter would be proud of the law change their family has achieved on sentencing hearings.

Cheryl Korbel, who met Rishi Sunak in Number 10 before he confirmed judges would soon be able to compel offenders to face their sentencing, said her daughter "would be in awe" of what has happened following her death.

Thomas Cashman, who was sentenced to 42 years in prison for murdering young Olivia, refused to leave his cell for the judge's verdict following his trial, meaning he escaped hearing Cheryl read her victim impact statement.

The prime minister said he would change the law so judges could compel defendants to attend their sentencing and they would be forced to hear from their victims about the impact of their crimes.

The new legislation will be introduced as soon as October, allowing prison officers to use "reasonable force" to get defendants into the dock.

And judges will get the power to impose additional punishments including an extra 24 months on their prison sentence for those who refuse to show up.

Asked what her daughter would make of the law change, Cheryl said "she’d be in awe," adding: "I just hope she’s proud of what we’ve done.

"At the end of the day, this in her name and not only her name, it's for every other family that’s gone through it."

The prime minister said the law will be changed as soon as possible, with legislation expected to come in October.

Cheryl told ITV News she is "very hopeful" of a swift law change but "I'm not going to believe it until it actually happens."

Under current law, judges can only order defendants to attend court for hearings prior to the verdict being delivered. If they fail to obey, they can be found in contempt of court and face up to two years in prison.

But judges have no such power over defendants for their sentencing.

Cheryl said the law needed changing to put some power in the hands of victims and their families.

'I just hope she's proud of what we've done': Cheryl Korbel in tears over law change

"The defendant, right through the trial, it's all about them. It's them having the power, but when it comes to the day of sentencing, it's the family’s turn.

"It's the family’s turn to have that power, for them to address the offender...for them to understand the pain that they’ve put them through… and they’re still going through because that pain doesn't stop."

But concerns have been raised about the "complex issue" of forcing defendants into the dock.

Former prison officer Bryn Hughes - whose daughter Pc Nicola Hughes was killed in 2012 alongside fellow Pc Fiona Bone in a gun and grenade ambush in Greater Manchester - said the idea is "fraught with danger".

He said that he had seen the behaviour of prisoners forced into courtrooms: “Foul abuse towards the family, abused the court, turned their back, kicked off, fought, spat, bitten people.

“They are beyond being told to sit down and be quiet, aren’t they?"

But, asked how she would feel had Cashman behaved that way after being forced into court, Cheryl said: "If he’d have been dragged up kicking and screaming, so be it."

She also said she was hopeful the new legislation could be named after her daughter after speaking with the PM.

"I asked if the change in the law would be in Olivia’s name, as in Olivia’s Law and they said 'yeah, it should be'.

"A few things need to be checked and ironed out for it for it to be acknowledged as Olivia's Law, but we’d refer to it as Olivia’s Law anyway because of the fight that we’ve done."

Prime Minister Sunak assured Ms Korbel that once the law changes, "it won't be possible any longer for killers like him to take the coward's way out".

She told the prime minister how difficult it was to write her victim impact statement, only for Cashman to miss her reading it.

'It was like a punch in the stomach': Olivia's mum opens up to Rishi Sunak

"To have it written all down, coming to the day where I was going to have my time, my family’s time, to put to him what he’s done - for him not to turn up… it was like a punch in the stomach."

Primary school pupil Olivia died when Cashman opened fire after chasing another man into her home in Dovecot, Liverpool.

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk told ITV News the law was being changed to ensure "natural justice, because for many victims, they will never be able to sleep peacefully again because their lives have been shattered by what the offender has done".

He added: "It is only right that as the offender is trying to get to sleep that they hear society’s condemnation expressed through the sentencing remarks of the judge ringing through their ears."

Cashman was just one in a string of serious violent offenders who refused to attend their sentencing hearings and pressure on the PM to act intensified after serial baby killer Lucy Letby was sentenced in her absence.

Others who have avoided their sentencing recently include sex attacker Jordan McSweeney who murdered 35-year-old law graduate Zara Aleena and Koci Selamaj who murdered primary school teacher Sabina Nessa.

Another is Manchester Arena terrorist Hashem Abedi. He was found guilty of 22 counts of murder and given 55 years in jail but refused to attend court for much of the proceedings.

'It's about natural justice': Justice secretary on upcoming law change

The PM said changes to the law to force offenders to attend sentencing hearings will happen when Parliament returns in the autumn.

Speaking to broadcasters at a police station in London, he was asked when the reforms would happen.

He said: “This will happen in the new session of Parliament when it commences in the autumn.

“I think, critically, like many, I was appalled that people who have committed awful crimes somehow are able to take the coward’s way out and not appear in court for their sentencing and to hear the impact that their crimes have had on the victim’s families.

“I don’t think that’s right. There shouldn’t be an easy way out.

“That’s why we’re going to change the law so that courts could compel these offenders to be present for their sentencing and to hear the impact that their actions have had, but also, if necessary, to use reasonable force to bring those people to court, and also to add time on to their sentence if they don’t appear.

“I think that’s the right thing to do. People rightly expect criminals to face up to the consequences of their actions.”