hold you to calculations? we won't hold you to them, of course... i calculations? we won't hold you to them, of course. . ._ them, of course... ithink it is very difficult _ them, of course... ithink it is very difficult to _ them, of course... ithink it is very difficult to predict - them, of course... ithink it is very difficult to predict how. them, of course... i think it is i very difficult to predict how long this may take. the prosecution are outlining their case at the moment, the defence will then have a chance to put any mitigating factors in. we then expecting one or two statements from olivia's family who have all turned up here at court today. we saw cheryl turn up, hugging a teddy bear, olivia's brother and sister are here, as is her dad. we are expecting one or two family statements from them, and courts, victim impact statements, talking about the impact that olivia's death has had on them and their wider family. they are expecting the break to take place, and then the judge will come back and hand out his sentence. that may be some time after three o'clock, but it will be difficult to predict exactly when we will get a vote. the schmidt verdict. . ~ will get a vote. the schmidt verdict. ., ~ , ., will get a vote. the schmidt verdict. . ~' , ., , will get a vote. the schmidt verdict. ., ~ , ., , . will get a vote. the schmidt verdict. . ~ , . verdict. thank you very much. doing a ureat “ob verdict. thank you very much. doing a great job keeping _ verdict. thank you very much. doing a great job keeping us _ verdict. thank you very much. doing a great job keeping us up _ verdict. thank you very much. doing a great job keeping us up to -

verdict. thank you very much. doing a great job keeping us up to date . verdict. thank you very much. doing a great job keeping us up to date in | a greatjob keeping us up to date in a greatjob keeping us up to date in a difficult circumstances, we appreciate it. a quick recap of the events that happened that tragic night. thomas cashman fired shots into olivia's family home on the 22nd august, during what prosecutors described as a "ruthless pursuit" to execute another man. her death stunned not only merseyside but the entire country — and sparked a six—week manhunt, as police appealed for information to find her killer. numerous arrests were made, but police eventually apprehended thomas cashman — a 34—year—old drug dealer. he was charged with olivia's murder on october 1st. his trial started in manchester last month and the court heard that moments before the shooting, olivia had come down the stairs saying: "mum, i'm scared." last thursday, the jury found him guilty of murder and a number of other offences linked to the incident. our correspondent danny savage looks back at the case.

sorry we won't go to danny's video. we will go back to august last year. that was when merseyside's police chief constable, serena kennedy, first named olivia at a press conference in dovecot. an annual goal which we can name today as olivia pratt—korbel has died following a shooting in at dovecot, last night, monday the 22nd of august. herfamily dovecot, last night, monday the 22nd of august. her family are absolutely devastated. —— dovecot. they are inconsolable and heartbroken. i know that the murder of olivia has rocked our communities, who are quite rightly upset, and outraged that such an apparent crime has occurred here on the streets of merseyside. —— abhorrent. the people of liverpool and merseyside are known for their compassion and pulling together in times of crisis. i know

that our communities, people are wanting to help the family in any way possible. this is not the time for anyone who knows he was responsible for the shooting to remain tight—lipped. it is time for our communities to come together with us and make merseyside a place where the use of guns on our street is totally unacceptable. those who use them are held to account. our thoughts and condolences are with olivia's family, who have been torn apart. no mum, no doubt, no sister, brother should have two ever experience loss in this way stop —— note dad. we will just we willjust go back to match the crown court, to show you what we are waiting on. we have a camera live

outside the court and other correspondents as well for any updates. as we wait for that, ijust want to bring you mark easton again. wejust want to bring you mark easton again. we just heard from the lease. —— police. give us your experience of the force in dealing with this kind of crime, given the history of the area, how it compares to other areas, different approaches. we talked areas, different approaches. - talked earlier about county lines gangs, which is the latest faced the mac face of warring drug gangs which have been fighting in this country, in the 70s and 805, particularly in the 705 and 805, particularly involved in the distribution and sale of class a drugs like heroin and crack cocaine. there are three cities in england that the national crime agency says is responsible for

80% of all of the county lines operations. they are london and birmingham and liverpool. there are many reasons why liverpool i5 birmingham and liverpool. there are many reasons why liverpool is among those three, it is clearly the smallest of the three, and really, it is because it is historically... when heroin arrived in the uk, particularly in the 19805, it came to reports, liverpool, obviously, is a port city, and we saw very significant quantities of heroin in liverpool in the 805 and threw into the 905. —— two ports. that was the catalyst for many of the big drug operations, having, if you like, their liverpool branch, and trying to control the turf in liverpool. these things get up and down, 5ee these things get up and down, see you will have periods when the drug gangs fight over territory, become much more hostile and, at times like

that, it can be very dangerous. you can see many, many murders in a short period of time, then appeared to be in something of that, right now. actually, the nature of violent crime, as we were discussing earlier, means that the chances of being a victim of violent crime, unless you are involved in the drugs trade, and actually your risks are very significant, but for most people, the chances are much, much lower. you were talking about the way in which police have been trying to deal with drugs, and one of the things that has become a real focus, more recently, obviously, is we now have the national crime agency which is trying to get a really big picture on how the international trade in a drugs is manifesting itself in the united kingdom, particularly in england and wales, and they are also involving themselves in trying to disrupt those operations. one of the things

that we have been discussing, that local police are particularly getting involved in is disrupting at a very local level. we talk about hotspot policing, just to explain what that is, we now have crime maps, there would be a crime at the liverpool. people would make police would be able to look at the crime map and see where all the crimes have occurred, drug dealing, other offences, for example, nectar with organised crime, have been occurring. and then you focus your resources on those places. it has been shown to have been studies done, and actually hotspot policing can make a real difference. that is why both the conservative party and the labour party have been really banging this drum in the last few weeks, as we head towards the general election, that the police need to do more to focus on those hot of crime, because for the people in those areas, anything that is what the beginning of the of the tragic death of olivia, there are

always risks of classical damage, spilling over, if you like, spilling beyond the fusion lines of the drug gangs themselves. do you have these tragic situations and one that went —— that sent shock waves across the country. -- that sent shock waves across the count . . ~ -- that sent shock waves across the count . ., ~ i. ., ., -- that sent shock waves across the count . ., ~ ., ., . , country. thank you for that. we 'ust want to bring — country. thank you for that. we 'ust want to bring you i country. thank you for that. we 'ust want to bring you some i country. thank you for that. we 'ust want to bring you some new i want to bring you some new developments from judith morris, our correspondent inside court. reacting first of all to the news that thomas cashman will not appear that we have more detail about that. the dock is empty, judith is telling us that the whole courtroom is assembled, barristers are all present, in this sentencing, and it is going ahead, in his absence. thomas cashman�*s barrister says, in his absence. thomas cashman�*s barristersays, he in his absence. thomas cashman�*s barrister says, he is refusing to come to court because he had that members of the crown prosecution service singing, we are the champions, after he was convicted.

he has been spoken to and certain advice has been given, that he is concerned about whether the matter is turning into a circus. that is the background, why it cashman is not there. he said that he wants to be sentenced in his absence. the judge says that she will take this as being to the court, but regardless of outcome respect or not, the hearing is going ahead without him, at the dock, which is empty. we are hearing from the prosecution and now, according to judith morris, that the minimum sentence should be a starting point of 30 years. our correspondent was talking us a bit through that before. that will be the starting point for sentencing for olivia's murder, he says, there are another four counts of the indictment as well, including attempted murder, possession of a weapon and intent.

judith is keeping is up to date. just with the matter is in court. i want to go to daniel, if you can hear me, ijust wa nt to want to ask are not specifically about the cameras in court, which we will get to, cope because we are still waiting for those, but the idea of thomas cashman not appearing, given your experience, what do you make of that? this appearing, given your experience, what do you make of that?- what do you make of that? this is something — what do you make of that? this is something which _ what do you make of that? this is something which has _ what do you make of that? this is something which has started - what do you make of that? this is something which has started to i something which has started to happen more in recent years, and, for example, the brother of the manchester bomber, for example, also refused to appear in court for his sentencing. it is one of the things that spun out of this tendency, to delayed sentencing is, so when someone is convicted, quite often used to be that they would be sentenced straightaway. i remember being there the sentencing of rose west, back in the 19905, this is the last budget with in, thejudge immediately started sentencing, washes in the dock, these days quite often costing ——,, sentencing is delayed until a later date. that gives the defendant an option as to whether or not to be in the dock.

thomas cashman was brought to court today, as with the brother of the manchester attack, because the prisoners can force the defendant to come to court, underneath the court, but they cannot be physically forced to appear in the court for sentencing. this is something that i know that is worrying judges, they are wondering if they have it net should have the power to order someone to come into court. that does risk... that is quite some unseemly scenes, of physically forcing someone to be brought up the stairs into the dock. it is not the first time we have had this. it is rather unusual excuse for not coming into court, saying that he has heard the crown prosecution service singing, we are the champions. we don't know if there is any evidence of that, but we know that the defendants cannot be forced to come up defendants cannot be forced to come up the stairs come into the dock. the families find that quite difficult, because one of the things that happens on the day sentencing as the family impact statement, the impact statements, and what they

like to do, sometimes, is to read that and, for the person who ruined their lives, to hear the effect that it has had on their lives, and of course, in this case, the families reading their victim impact statement, or having it red on their behalf, won't be able to look thomas cashman in the eyes, as those impact statements are being read, so that does somewhat diminish that. some people find it more comforting, of course, if the perpetrator isn't there of in court. it will change there of in court. it will change the nature of the proceedings and perhaps slightly change that drama of the proceedings for those there in court. . . , of the proceedings for those there in court. ., ., , ., ,., in court. invaluable to get your experience. — in court. invaluable to get your experience, thank— in court. invaluable to get your experience, thank you - in court. invaluable to get your experience, thank you for - in court. invaluable to get your| experience, thank you for that. in court. invaluable to get your - experience, thank you for that. we go back to the court, manchester crown court. we have our cameras there outside and our correspondent is there as well. just out of shot. just checking you can hear me, and if you can't, just bring us the latest of what is happening inside the court. ., ., . , the court. you had the references that a victim _ the court. you had the references that a victim impact _ the court. you had the references that a victim impact statements, | the court. you had the references i that a victim impact statements, and we have started to get some. the

first one is a statement that was read out under behalf ofjohn pratt, olivia's dad, it was read by the prosecutor, henry riding. it was directed to thomas cashman, even though he is not in the dock. it was quite upsetting, it gives you a sense of the impact that this has had. he says in his statement, i want you to know that you have changed my life and my family's life forever. john pratt then went on to explain how he only saw his daughter for the first time in two years on the day before she was killed, he says, i have nightmares about how she died, and the nightmares won't go away. john pratt himself was sitting at the back of the court, listening to that statement being read out, and he goes on, i am heartbroken, sometimes ijust want he goes on, i am heartbroken, sometimes i just want to end he goes on, i am heartbroken, sometimes ijust want to end it he goes on, i am heartbroken, sometimes i just want to end it so that i could be with olivia again. i want to visit olivia and i sometimes sit outside the cemetery but i can't go in because if i do, it will make it all seemed too real. you have denied my beautiful olivia her

future, they will never see her on her wedding day, walking down the aisle, going into the beautiful woman she was destined to become it. we have been robbed of ourfuture because of you stop she will always because of you stop she will always be forever known. i think itjust gives you a sense of exactly the devastating impact that this murder has had on olivia's family. chloe, her sister, has had on olivia's family. chloe, hersister, is has had on olivia's family. chloe, her sister, is also standing up in court, she is addressing the court directly, she has started reading out her statement, saying, olivia was the best friend i had always wanted, we were so close, as i was not only her big sister, but i would look after her when my mum was working and so... we're getting victim impact statements now. it just gives you the sense of the terrible loss that the family has lost the back suffered, since august last year. the sentencing of thomas cashman continuing here at manchester crown court. gosh, thank ou. it manchester crown court. gosh, thank yom it makes — manchester crown court. gosh, thank yom it makes you _ manchester crown court. gosh, thank you. it makes you feel _ manchester crown court. gosh, thank you. it makes you feel like _ manchester crown court. gosh, thank you. it makes you feel like you - you. it makes you feel like you should feel a set take a moment and a pause, that was really upsetting.

some details that may transport you straight to the mines of the family, exactly what they are going through. —— minds. absolutely dreadful to hear, but those with the mac witness impact statements are just that, they have an impact like this. they do leave you a little breathless and speechless as well. those proceedings are continuing inside manchester crown court, you can see those pictures on one side of your screen, that is the outside of the court and those victim impact statements are being read inside the court. you can see the flowers being laid at the time, they are not from today, they are from at the time of olivia's death. some really, really difficult details in the courtroom, we want to stay focused on the inside, because at the moment, there is no feed inside. the cameras are

set up and ready to go, but they are not switched