Thomas Cashman to be sentenced for nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel's murder today

Thomas Cashman will be sentenced for the murder of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel today (April 3).

The 34-year-old 'high level' drug dealer was found guilty by a jury of murdering the little girl, shooting her dead inside her home on August 22 last year. The sentencing will take place at Manchester Crown Court today.

Cashman is set to receive a life imprisonment as he was unanimously convicted for the shooting that shocked the nation. Justice Amanda Yip, who presided over his trial, will be required to set a minimum term which the 34-year-old must serve behind bars before he is considered eligible for release.

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He is due to be sentenced after 2pm.

As well as murdering Olivia he was found guilty of the wounding with intent of her mother Cheryl Korbel, 46, as he chased convicted drug dealer Joseph Nee into their home in the Dovecot area of the city. The jury also found him guilty of the attempted murder of Nee and two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

During the 19-day trial at Manchester Crown Court the jury heard that had been “scoping out” Nee, the intended target, on the day of the shooting and lay in wait for him, armed with two guns, as he watched a football match at the house of a friend. Footage played to the jury showed the gunman, wearing tracksuit bottoms which matched a pair worn by Cashman, chasing Nee up Kingsheath Avenue and firing three shots.

The jury was told Nee ran towards the open door of Olivia’s family home, after Ms Korbel came out to see what the noise was, and the fatal shot was fired through the front door. It hit Ms Korbel in the wrist as she tried to shut the