The gunman who murdered nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel has failed in his bid to have his jail time period lower.

Drug seller Thomas Cashman, 34, was too cowardly to face her household at his sentencing in April when he acquired life with a minimal of 42 years.

Under 20 days later, he submitted an utility to have his sentence lowered – however the Court of Appeal has confirmed a High Court choose refused it earlier this month.

Olivia’s mum Cheryl Korbel mentioned: “That news meant everything to us as a family, it was huge.”

Olivia died when Cashman focused fellow felony Joseph Nee, 36, in Dovecot, Liverpool, wielding two weapons as he chased him by way of the streets.

Desperate Nee bumped into Olivia’s house as Cashman continued firing –hitting Cheryl within the wrist and Olivia within the chest.

After placing the household by way of a harrowing four-week trial, he remained in his cell for his sentencing.

Cheryl, 48, mentioned: “We knew when he didn’t show up in court he was going to appeal it. I laughed when I heard he had appealed his sentence, I thought it was a joke – we went right through court and then he never turned up for his sentence.

“He pleaded it wasn’t him but then put an appeal in over his sentence but not his conviction. To me, he’s admitting he’s done it by putting an appeal in to say he’s got too long.

“He’s not grasped the severity of what he’s actually done.”

Cheryl is now calling for brand spanking new laws to make sure all convicted killers are pressured to attend their sentencing and face the households of their victims.

Speaking in regards to the ache of reliving Olivia’s homicide within the trial, she mentioned: “It’s a life sentence for us – you never get closure – and then for him to not turn up was a punch in the stomach.

The law needs changing so other families don’t have to go through the same thing, so they get the chance to tell these offenders the pain they have caused. There’s so much that goes into those impact statements.”

A petition to vary the legislation now has greater than 10,500 ­signatures. It is backed by the household of Zara Aleena, whose killer additionally refused to come back to courtroom for his sentencing.

Labour chief Sir Keir Starmer is supporting the marketing campaign whereas Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has refused to decide to altering the legislation earlier than the subsequent election.

You can signal the petition at petition.parliament.uk/petitions/636546