The secret retail park meeting with police where Thomas Cashman was named as Olivia's killer

Two days after the murder of Olivia Pratt-Korbel, Paul Russell secretly met with police on a retail park and named Thomas Cashman as her killer. Russell, 41 was today jailed for 22 months after admitting assisting an offender in relation to the fatal shooting of the schoolgirl inside her own home in Liverpool on August 22 last year.

He disposed of clothing worn by the child killer and drove him back to his van in the aftermath of the incident. Tom Schofield, defending, told Liverpool Crown Court during the hearing that his client had not been aware of the full extent of Cashman's crimes on the night in question.

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Having learned of nine-year-old Olivia's death the following day, Russell arranged a meeting with a detective sergeant from Merseyside Police at New Mersey Retail Park in Speke on August 24, the Liverpool Echo reports.

It was here that he "named Tommy Cashman as the person responsible". Mr Schofield said it was unclear whether this was the first time that police had been given his name in relation to their investigation, with Justice Amanda Yip adding: "At the time, the police did not have evidence of Mr Cashman’s involvement even if they had reports.

“It was Mr Russell who came forward to the police. He is the partner of [a witness who cannot be named for legal reasons], who did end up giving evidence against Mr Cashman."

Cashman's trial at Manchester Crown Square Crown Court was told that he had "garden hopped" to Russell's partner's home in the aftermath of the incident. She cannot be named for legal reasons, but reported that she had phoned her boyfriend after being woken by the killer at her bedside.

Russell too attended the address