"So what?": Fury of Olivia Pratt-Korbel's family amid plea for suspended sentence from man who helped her murderer

The family of murdered nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel reacted with fury today as the legal representative of a man who helped killer Thomas Cashman in the aftermath of her death suggested a prison sentence could be suspended.

Ryan Korbel, the youngster's brother, walked out of the public gallery at a court as Paul Russell's mitigation was outlined. And John Pratt, Olivia's dad, said 'so what?' as Liverpool Crown Court heard Russell, who helped Cashman dispose of evidence, was finding his time in prison 'isolating'.

Russell, 41, gave Cashman a lift from a woman's home, where the ruthless gunman had fled to after shooting Olivia dead on Kingsheath Avenue, Dovecot, Liverpool on August 22 last year.

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He also returned and collected a bag of clothing Cashman, 34, had worn during the shooting, which he then passed to another accomplice who has not been identified, reports The Echo.

Cashman was last month convicted of lying in wait for rival drug dealer, Joseph Nee, in the street armed with two guns. He shot Nee three times but when his Glock 9mm pistol 'malfunctioned', he chased Nee down the road and towards the home of Olivia's mum, Cheryl Korbel, who had stepped outside to see what was going on.

As the screaming Ms Korbel tried to keep Nee out, Cashman blindly fired a shot from his second weapon, a revolver, through the front door. The bullet struck Cheryl in the arm, and then hit Olivia in the chest. Cashman was jailed for life earlier this month with a minimum of 42 years in prison.

Russell, who pleaded guilty to assisting an offender at a hearing in October last year, was 'terrified' of Cashman and was not aware he had killed the schoolgirl when