Shot girl's brother claims burglar who led gunman to home 'cowered behind door'
The brother of a schoolgirl killed in her own home has blasted the burglar who led the alleged gunman to their house, claiming he saw the man "cower" behind the door.
Olivia Pratt-Korbel had been at her family’s home in Dovecot, Liverpool on August 22 last year when Joseph Nee raced to the home, being chased by Thomas Cashman.
The ongoing trial at Manchester Crown Court heard how the convicted burglar, 36, tried to escape into the house as Cashman, 34, is said to have opened fire.
One bullet passed through the door, and mum Cheryl’s hand, and struck and killed Olivia who was just nine years old.
Today her brother has spoken about his sister’s final moments and slammed Nee for leading Cashman right into their home, describing how he "cowered behind the door like a s***house."
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It came after he described how little Olivia screamed "I'm scared, I'm scared" in the moments before she was shot.
Mum Cheryl Korbel and family members including brother Ryan arrive at Manchester Crown Court (Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror)In a video interview played to Manchester Crown Court on Friday, Olivia's brother Ryan Korbel said he had been in his room when he heard three loud bangs.
Chaos unfolded in the moments after, culminating in Nee barging inside the house, and Cashman trying to follow.
When he couldn't he tried to fire after Nee again. Ryan said he didn't think the convicted burglar was shot, even as he was injured.
The brother and the burglar were not finished as after the brutal shooting, the court heard how Nee was sat on the doorstep and then went outside, following by Ryan who was "screaming abuse" at him.
But at this point, he didn't know Olivia had been shot as Nee collapsed in the road and was picked up by two men in an SUV.
Joseph Nee was being chased by Cashman at the time, the court heard (PA)
The schoolgirl screamed 'I'm scared' in the moments before she was shot (PA)Recalling the moments before Olivia got shot, he said: "The next thing I heard was footsteps across the landing. It was Olivia, she was running downstairs screaming: 'Mum, I'm scared'."
A police officer asked Ryan if he knew what Olivia was scared of.
He said: "No, she literally said 'I'm scared mummy, I'm scared'. Then I heard her footsteps. Downstairs she said it another two times 'I'm scared, I'm scared' and then everything else just kicked off."
Ryan said he went to the landing and saw Olivia four or five steps up from the bottom of the staircase, a man lying on the floor and his mother "wrestling" with the door.
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He said: "My mum and the fella, who I believe was Joseph Nee, who I'm quite happy to name, then got the door shut.
Thomas Cashman, 34, who has been charged with the murder of Olivia Pratt-Korbel (Liverpool Echo)"The door's burst back open but my mum's behind it. An arm's come round the door with a black handgun and another shot's gone off, it could be two, I can't remember.
"Olivia was in hysterics, my mum was in hysterics, my 18-year-old sister was in hysterics, we all were."
Asked to describe the arm he saw appear around the door, Ryan said: "All I seen was an arm, a hand and a gun."
After his confrontation with Nee, Ryan told police: "My mum put Liv in my arms and told me to keep pressure on her chest. I didn't know why until I lifted her pyjama top up and seen a hole."
The funeral held for the schoolgirl (Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)He said a neighbour came in and gave CPR to Olivia.
"Her lips had gone blue, she wasn't even bleeding out the gunshot wound," he said.
"I knew it was over."
He added: "It keeps going over and over in my head."
Cashman, of Grenadier Drive, Liverpool, denies the murder of Olivia, the attempted murder of Nee, wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm to Olivia's mother, and two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.
His trial is expected to last four weeks.
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