Olivia Pratt-Korbel's mother says Thomas Cashman caused 'utter devastation'

The mother of a nine-year-old girl who was shot to death in Liverpool says she cannot get her head around how her murderer continued shooting after hearing the "terrifying screams."

Olivia Pratt-Korbel's mother, Cheryl Korbel, appeared at Manchester Crown Court to read her victim impact statement at the sentencing of Thomas Cashman.

She was carrying a teddy bear named Liv made from Olivia's pyjamas.

She took to the stand to read her victim impact statement, starting with when Olivia was born.

Speaking to the court, she said Cashman's "actions have left the biggest hole in our lives that can never be filled".

Ms Korbel, who was also injured on the night of Olivia's death, said: "On that night when I realised Liv had been shot and needed me, I was not able to do CPR properly on her, because of my injury I didn’t have full use of my hand, I felt helpless.

"It was only then my neighbour came in and tried all he could to save my baby."

She continued: "This happened in our home where we felt safe and should have been safe."

Paying tribute to her daughter, she said: "My 9 year old Liv was the light of our lives, our beautiful, sassy, chatty girl who never ran out of energy, she was a character, she was my baby, she had amazing qualities and knew what she wanted in life.

"She will never get to make her Holy communion, wear that prom dress, or have a sweet 16th birthday, walk down the aisle with the man of her dreams or become a mother of her own children.

"All that promise for her future so cruelly taken away.

"Now I have to drive to the cemetery to be close to my baby daughter, I sit with her and talk to her telling her I miss her smile, her kisses, her cuddles, her voice.

"I tell her she will live on in my heart, she will always be with us, my little shadow.

"We love you endless amounts Liv."

Cheryl Korbel's statement in full:

"I was 36 and already a mum to Ryan who was 13 and Chloe who was 8 when I found out I was pregnant, although a shock I never thought I would be starting again after 9 years.

"Olivia was born 6 weeks early on 13th June 2013 in Whiston Hospital weighing 4lbs 2oz and was so tiny that she fitted into one hand, she had the most beautiful soft tanned skin, there wasn’t a blemish on her.

"From a tiny little bundle Liv grew into a toddler having the most perfect chubby rolls on her legs.

"Every time we went out we were stopped by anyone and everyone saying how beautiful she was especially her big beautiful brown eyes and thick curly hair.

"Ryan and Chloe adored her she was their ‘baby sister’. Liv slept in my room until she was 1 and then moved into the big room with Chloe.

"Liv wasn’t the best sleeper and would wake of a night, often by the time I got to her Chloe was already up and soothing her, Chloe was like a 2nd mother to her.

"The years passed by too quick, and Liv started nursery, she was loved by everyone, she loved to play, in particular playing house.

"At home she would dress her dog Gizmo up in a blanket and put him in her pram pushing him around the house. Gizmo still brings his blanket into me now.

"More years passed and Liv skipped into her first day of reception, I was heartbroken but she was so happy and content, I couldn’t believe my baby was going into Big School.

"She loved helping others and especially the role of being the teachers helper. She had a special bond with one of her teachers Miss Dwerryhouse.

"Liv was such a social butterfly, she was particularly good with younger children and was such a caring little girl.

"Liv had really long beautiful brown hair, something she was very proud and particular about.

"A few weeks before she was so cruelly taken away from us Liv had heard about the Princess Trust and what they do from a friend in school.

"After talking to me Liv decided she wanted to donate 12 inches of her hair for in her words 'the sick kids to have beautiful wigs' we then went online together and applied for the sponsor form, Liv was due to have her hair cut on 27th August.

"Liv was a girly girl and loved to play with make up, she loved shoes with heels on, she didn’t want to wear trainers ever!

"She had her own style and would wear what she wanted to wear even though it often didn’t match.

"She would go to our Toni’s house with the girls and come down in their clothes and just say she had found them.

"Those clothes would then make their way to our house and the girls would never see them again.

"As Ryan and Chloe got older and began doing their own things it became mostly me and her on our own together.

"She was nicknamed my shadow. We were just always together me, Liv and Pearl the purple bear, this was once Chloe’s bear but Liv took a liking to it and decided it was now hers. Pearl was her comfort bear.

"Each evening was different with Liv – one night we could be watching Matilda whilst she was upside down on the couch, the next night she would leave me watching H2O while she sneaked upstairs to Ryan’s room whilst he was out so she could lie on his bed watching Youtube on her Ipad.

"Liv never stopped talking, literally never, even if she wasn’t directly talking to anyone she would still be chatting away.

"The thing I miss most is hearing her say “mum”. I just miss hearing her voice, its just so quiet, I would do and give anything in the world to have her chatting to me. It is so very lonely without her.

"Everything is just so quiet, I just can’t cope with the silence.

"Setting my alarm at 7.30 in the morning is something I still do because it is engrained in me.

"The day goes by in a blur, it then gets to 2.30 and I think about the school pick up, something I will never ever get to do again as a mum.

"She was and will always be my baby, but I miss the routine we had. My mind keeps telling me that I have forgotten to pick her up from school.

"Now tea-time is a big thing for me because it was so centred around her and what she wanted for tea.

"Everything I do and everywhere I go is a constant reminder that she is not there with me.

"This happened in our home where we felt safe and should have been safe.

"We had no choice to leave the home that was Liv’s first and only home.

"When the police left, and we were allowed back there it was utter heartbreak, I walked in and it was although time had stood still.

"The cups of tea still sitting on the coffee table next to her Princess Trust sponsor form, Livs new bike still propped up on its stand, one of her dolls lay in the living room floor and her brand new sparkly shoes in a box.

"Right in that moment I was home, we were back to how our lives were before that night and I soaked up the surroundings until reality dawned and brought me back to my living nightmare.

"Packing up our home was horrendous, having to pack up our lives, having to strip. Livs bed, pack her clothes, her toys, jewellery, her memories. Packing my babies’ things into a box, no mother should ever have to do that.

"We left our friends our neighbours, our neighbour Trish was amazing and often when I needed to go to work would sit with Liv until Chloe got home from college.

"It is so hard to come back to the area where I grew up and where I raised all 3 of my children, the area where some of my closest friends live, the smallest of things that remind me of Liv her friends playing in the street, when I see them its hard to accept she is no longer here.

"Moving into the new house was difficult for all of us, not being able to make her bed, put her clothes away, her toothbrush in the bathroom and not having her favourite food in the fridge.

"On that night when I realised Liv had been shot and needed me, I was not able to do cpr properly on her, because of my injury I didn’t have full use of my hand, I felt helpless. It was only then my neighbour came in and tried all he could to save my baby.

"My worst nightmare was being separated from Liv and not being with her when she needed me the most, I was the first person to hold my baby girl and as her mum I should have been the last.

"I cannot get my head around how Cashman continued to shoot after hearing the terrifying screams. The utter devastation he has caused, he doesn’t care, how could he?

"His actions have left the biggest hole in our lives that can never be filled. That man set out to do a job and he didn’t care about anyone else or who got in his way.

"Ryan, Chloe and I are just existing day to day and have been since it happened. We have been waiting for the trial and focusing on not addressing how utterly broken we are as a family. I cannot even think about rebuilding our lives without her.

"Because of this we have missed out on so much, my nan who was 92 adored Liv and Liv her. Recently my nan’s health deteriorated, and she was admitted into hospital. A couple of weeks ago we were able to bring her home on end of life care.

"Due to being at court everyday we have not been able to spend enough quality time with her, my main focus has been getting justice for Liv. I believe she held on long enough to hear that that coward had been found guilty. Sadly my Nan passed away last night.

"My 9 year old Liv was the light of our lives, our beautiful, sassy, chatty girl who never ran out of energy, she was a character, she was my baby, she had amazing qualities and knew what she wanted in life.

"She will never get to make her Holy communion, wear that prom dress, or have a sweet 16th birthday, walk down the aisle with the man of her dreams or become a mother of her own children. All that promise for her future so cruelly taken away.

"Now I have to drive to the cemetery to be close to my baby daughter, I sit with her and talk to her telling her I miss her smile, her kisses, her cuddles, her voice.

"I tell her she will live on in my heart, she will always be with us, my little shadow.

"We love you endless amounts Liv."