Olivia Pratt-Korbel: Suspect denies being in 'murder frame of mind'

The man accused of killing nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel has denied being in a "murder frame of mind" on the night of her death.

Thomas Cashman is accused of shooting Olivia and injuring her mother Cheryl Korbel after chasing a convicted drug dealer into their home in August.

Ms Korbel walked out of court as Mr Cashman, 34, denied Olivia's murder.

Giving evidence for a third day, he was cross-examined on his movements in the lead-up to the shooting in Liverpool.

David McLachlan KC, prosecuting, asked Mr Cashman why he had left his home in West Derby, Liverpool, at about 20:30 BST that day.

Mr McLachlan said: "Were you starting to get excited?"

Mr Cashman replied: "No, I was not starting to get excited."

Mr McLachlan said: "Were you starting to get in the murder frame of mind?"

Mr Cashman said: "No, I was not getting in no murder frame of mind whatsoever."

The jury at Manchester Crown Court was also shown CCTV footage of a man, who the prosecution alleges is Mr Cashman, chasing Joseph Nee, 36, and firing three shots in the street.

In another clip a fourth shot can be heard.

Mr McLachlan said: "That's you, isn't it?"

Mr Cashman replied: "No, it's not me."

Mr McLachlan said: "You're not prepared to, in the words of somebody else, own this, Mr Cashman, because you killed a little girl?"

Mr Cashman said: "No, I did not kill a little girl."

He questioned whether his DNA had been found on the door of Olivia's family home and suggested Nee had given the name of another suspect.

Mr McLachlan asked again: "You're not prepared to own this?"

Mr Cashman replied: "I did not do it, that's why."

Ms Korbel, who was injured in the shooting, walked out of court following the denial.

Mr Cashman has admitted selling cannabis but told the court he was "not a bad drug dealer".

He said: "I was drug dealing, I admit. I hold my hands up, I'm a drug dealer.

"I'm not a bad drug dealer who sells Class A drugs, I don't do anything bad.

"I sell cannabis in my local area whereabouts I grew up. Some people might look at that as a bad thing because a drug dealer's a drug dealer.

"I don't look at it as I'm a bad person for doing that."

He said a woman he had a fling with, who claimed he had gone to her house after the shooting, was a "woman scorned".

"This is how low they'd go," he added.

The defendant, of Grenadier Drive, Liverpool, denies the murder of Olivia, the attempted murder of Nee, wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm to Olivia's mother, and two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

The trial continues.

Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to [email protected]