Olivia Pratt-Korbel: Murder-accused's clothes match gunman, trial told

The man accused of murdering Olivia Pratt-Korbel wore tracksuit bottoms matching the style and design of those worn by the gunman, a trial has heard.

Thomas Cashman denies murdering the nine-year-old at her home in Dovecot, Liverpool, on 22 August last year.

The 34-year-old is also accused of injuring her mother Cheryl Korbel, 46, and attempting to murder Joseph Nee.

Manchester Crown Court heard evidence from a police officer and an image analyst about the gunman's trousers.

Mr Cashman is accused of chasing Mr Nee into Olivia's home and firing his gun, which is said to have killed Olivia and also injured Ms Korbel.

He claims he was not the gunman.

The court was shown CCTV footage which the prosecution claimed showed Mr Cashman wearing tracksuit bottoms on the afternoon of the day Olivia was shot and on 24 August, as he got into the lift at flats in Runcorn, Cheshire

Image analyst Tessa Macklam told the court she had been asked to compare a pair of tracksuit bottoms provided by police with ones said to have been worn by Mr Cashman on CCTV footage and also a pair of trousers being worn by the shooter in other footage.

Ms Macklam said it was much more probable than not that the trousers worn by Mr Cashman in Runcorn two days after the shooting were the same style and design as those shown in pictures provided by police.

She said it was "slightly more probable" that the same style trousers were seen on Mr Cashman as he walked around the Dovecot area on the afternoon of 22 August.

Ms Macklam also analysed CCTV footage of the gunman firing shots in the street in Kingsheath Avenue before chasing Mr Nee into Olivia's family home.

She said: "My observations and markers led me to give the more probable conclusion that they are the same style and design as the reference images due to the quality of imagery, the behaviour of the trim under the same lighting conditions and the clarity of the style of features I am analysing."

The court has heard the trousers worn by the gunman have been identified as Monterrain tracksuit bottoms.

Head of design at sports brand Foot Asylum, Jade Holland, who designed the trousers, told the court on Thursday the reflective markings on them made them "quite unique as a garment".

Ms Macklam also looked at footwear worn by the gunman and said it was more probable than not that the shoes worn as he fled from the scene were the same as trainers said to have been worn by Mr Cashman on CCTV footage.

John Cooper KC, defending, asked whether the trainers, which featured a Nike swoosh, dark upper and light sole, were a "pretty common pair of trainers".

Ms Macklam replied: "It's not my duty to comment on the commonality of garments."

Mr Cashman, of Grenadier Drive, Liverpool, denies the murder of Olivia, the attempted murder of Mr Nee, wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm to Ms Korbel, and two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

The trial continues.

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