UK: man guilty of murdering a girl killed by a stray bullet

BET À DAY

British justice declared guilty on Thursday a 34-year-old man of the murder of a 9-year-old child killed by a stray bullet in his house in Liverpool (north of England) where a dealer of drugs.

Olivia Pratt-Korbel had been killed on August 22.

Her mother had opened the door of the house after hearing a noise in the street. A man was then engulfed, tracked by a second who had fired indiscriminately.

A bullet had first wounded the 46-year-old mother in the hand, before reaching the little girl who was was behind her in the chest.

His death – the third fatal shooting in the city in the space of a week at the time – shocked and sparked calls to step up the fight against arms and organized crime.

The defendant, Thomas Cashman, admitted to being a “high profile” cannabis dealer, but denied being the shooter.

He did not failed to convince the jury, who after three weeks of trial in Manchester found him guilty of the murder of the girl, of attempted murder of the man being pursued. He was also found guilty of injuring the child's mother and possessing weapons.

A woman who had an affair with the accused, a key witness in this case, testified to the jury that he had taken refuge in her house after the fact, and had heard her say that he had “done Joey”.

Thomas Cashman had accused her of lying and of wanting to “ruin his life”.

The sentencing hearing is scheduled for Monday.