Child killer Thomas Cashman and the cowards who refused to go to court face justice
manchestereveningnews.co.ukCowardly child killer Thomas Cashman refused to enter Manchester Crown Court to be sentenced for the murder of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel.
It meant the drug dealer wasn't in the dock on Monday, April 3, to face Olivia's family and hear Justice Amanda Yip hand down his sentence of life with a minimum of 42 years in jail.
It also meant he didn't hear victim personal statements read by members of Olivia's family or the words of Justice Yip. The murderer's non-appearance in court was branded a 'disgrace' by Labour's shadow justice secretary Steve Reed, who has previously called for new laws to make sure this cannot happen. Read more: Big K, Beefy, and The Fish - the men who armed 'Gunchester' Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary Dominic Raab is now under pressure to act to ensure criminals like Cashman cannot avoid appearing in court.
Mr Rabb said: "Spineless criminals like Cashman who hide from their sentencing prolong the suffering of victims and their families. "As I have already made clear, I plan to change the law to compel offenders to face up to their actions, so victims can see the justice they deserve being served." Here the Manchester Evening News looks at the cases of Cashman and other criminals who refused to enter the dock to face up to their actions.
Read more on manchestereveningnews.co.uk