'You never get closure': Olivia Pratt-Korbel's mum calls for change to court sentencings| ITV News

At 2pm on April 3 2023, courtroom one of Manchester Crown Court was packed. Thomas Cashman was due to be sentenced for the murder of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel. Olivia's family sat quietly, waiting. Her mum, Cheryl Korbel, was holding a teddy bear that she would later tell the court had been made from Olivia's pyjamas. I sat with family members, police officers and other journalists in the public gallery. Even the jury benches were full. Jury members don't have to come back to court for sentencing but, in this case, almost all of them had chosen to. We waited and waited but the dock remained empty. Eventually, after a 45-minute delay, Thomas Cashman's barrister explained to the judge that his client was refusing to come to court. He would not be there to hear his life sentence handed down, or to face Olivia's mum and sister, Chloe, as they read the statements they'd prepared, detailing the devastation he has caused to them and their family. • Subscribe to ITV News on YouTube: http://bit.ly/2lOHmNj • Get breaking news and more stories at http://www.itv.com/news Follow ITV News on Facebook:   / itvnews   Follow ITV News on Twitter:   / itvnews   Follow ITV News on Instagram:   / itvnews