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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Thomas Cashman: Renewed call to force criminals to attend sentencing | Thomas Cashman: Renewed call to force criminals to attend sentencing |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Zara Aleena's killer refused to appear in the dock during his sentencing hearing | Zara Aleena's killer refused to appear in the dock during his sentencing hearing |
| The government has been urged to press ahead with plans to force criminals to attend their own sentencing hearings. | The government has been urged to press ahead with plans to force criminals to attend their own sentencing hearings. |
| Thomas Cashman refused to enter the dock when he was jailed for at least 42 years on Monday for the shooting murder of Olivia Pratt-Korbel in her own home. | Thomas Cashman refused to enter the dock when he was jailed for at least 42 years on Monday for the shooting murder of Olivia Pratt-Korbel in her own home. |
| The aunt of another murder victim called on Justice Secretary Dominic Raab to expedite plans to compel criminals to appear for sentencing. | The aunt of another murder victim called on Justice Secretary Dominic Raab to expedite plans to compel criminals to appear for sentencing. |
| Farah Naz also wants judges to have the ability to punish those who refuse. | Farah Naz also wants judges to have the ability to punish those who refuse. |
| Opposition Leader Sir Keir Starmer said because Olivia's family "couldn't hide" from Cashman's "horrendous crimes... he shouldn't be allowed to" either. | Opposition Leader Sir Keir Starmer said because Olivia's family "couldn't hide" from Cashman's "horrendous crimes... he shouldn't be allowed to" either. |
| Ms Naz's niece Zara Aleena was sexually assaulted and murdered by Jordan McSweeney after he attacked the 35-year-old law graduate while walking home from a night out in Ilford, Essex, on 26 June. | Ms Naz's niece Zara Aleena was sexually assaulted and murdered by Jordan McSweeney after he attacked the 35-year-old law graduate while walking home from a night out in Ilford, Essex, on 26 June. |
| Like Cashman, he also refused to attend his sentencing in person, leading Ms Naz to say he had wrongly taken control of the courtroom. | Like Cashman, he also refused to attend his sentencing in person, leading Ms Naz to say he had wrongly taken control of the courtroom. |
| She said: "It's the last bit of power that needs to be taken away [from offenders]. | She said: "It's the last bit of power that needs to be taken away [from offenders]. |
| "I think there are other ways to make the convict come to face their judgment and that would be to add time to their sentencing, or there can be other ways. | "I think there are other ways to make the convict come to face their judgment and that would be to add time to their sentencing, or there can be other ways. |
| "Otherwise we don't have people deterred from committing crimes - if they're just moving from cell to cell there's no sense of punishment. | "Otherwise we don't have people deterred from committing crimes - if they're just moving from cell to cell there's no sense of punishment. |
| "I would like Dominic Raab to move forward with developing this law." | "I would like Dominic Raab to move forward with developing this law." |
| Olivia Pratt-Korbel's killer also refused to appear in the dock | Olivia Pratt-Korbel's killer also refused to appear in the dock |
| Ms Naz said she felt "really sad" for Olivia's family that they were not able to see the man who "destroyed their lives" being sentenced. | Ms Naz said she felt "really sad" for Olivia's family that they were not able to see the man who "destroyed their lives" being sentenced. |
| "Surely the judgment is part of the punishment," she asked. | "Surely the judgment is part of the punishment," she asked. |
| "We all wanted to face him when we were reading out victim impact statements. | "We all wanted to face him when we were reading out victim impact statements. |
| "We wanted to watch him watch the footage of his murdering Zara - what he did to her," she said. | "We wanted to watch him watch the footage of his murdering Zara - what he did to her," she said. |
| "As a result the whole legal process felt incomplete. | "As a result the whole legal process felt incomplete. |
| "He took power over Zara and then... in the courtroom he took power. It felt like he was able to have that," she said. | "He took power over Zara and then... in the courtroom he took power. It felt like he was able to have that," she said. |
| "Surely once they have been convicted... all their rights are removed?" | "Surely once they have been convicted... all their rights are removed?" |
| Cashman, 34, killed Olivia and injured her mother Cheryl Korbel as he chased a fellow drug dealer into their Dovecot home on 22 August. | Cashman, 34, killed Olivia and injured her mother Cheryl Korbel as he chased a fellow drug dealer into their Dovecot home on 22 August. |
| Neither Cashman nor his intended target Joseph Nee were known to Ms Korbel. | Neither Cashman nor his intended target Joseph Nee were known to Ms Korbel. |
| Watch: Judge passes mandatory life sentence for the murder of Olivia Pratt-Korbel | Watch: Judge passes mandatory life sentence for the murder of Olivia Pratt-Korbel |
| Watch: Judge passes mandatory life sentence for the murder of Olivia Pratt-Korbel | Watch: Judge passes mandatory life sentence for the murder of Olivia Pratt-Korbel |
| Sentencing him in absentia at Manchester Crown Court, Mrs Justice Amanda Yip said drug dealer Cashman's refusal to appear in court was "disrespectful" to Olivia's family. | Sentencing him in absentia at Manchester Crown Court, Mrs Justice Amanda Yip said drug dealer Cashman's refusal to appear in court was "disrespectful" to Olivia's family. |
| She said he was "not of previous good character", had made it clear he was a criminal, and had "demonstrated no remorse". | She said he was "not of previous good character", had made it clear he was a criminal, and had "demonstrated no remorse". |
| "His failure to come into court is further evidence of that," she said. | "His failure to come into court is further evidence of that," she said. |
| Thomas Cashman was convicted of murdering nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel | Thomas Cashman was convicted of murdering nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel |
| Commenting on Cashman's refusal to enter the dock, a Ministry of Justice source said Olivia and her family "weren't able to hide from Thomas Cashman's crime, so he shouldn't be able to hide from justice". | Commenting on Cashman's refusal to enter the dock, a Ministry of Justice source said Olivia and her family "weren't able to hide from Thomas Cashman's crime, so he shouldn't be able to hide from justice". |
| The source said: "This is exactly why the Deputy Prime Minister [Dominic Raab] is committed to changing the law so that offenders are forced to face the consequences of their actions." | The source said: "This is exactly why the Deputy Prime Minister [Dominic Raab] is committed to changing the law so that offenders are forced to face the consequences of their actions." |
| The BBC understands the government is looking to bring in the new legislation before the next general election. | |
| Following McSweeney's sentencing, Mr Raab said in February he was examining whether judges should be able to impose longer terms on those who refused to come to court. | Following McSweeney's sentencing, Mr Raab said in February he was examining whether judges should be able to impose longer terms on those who refused to come to court. |
| 'Brave' ex-partner helped convict Olivia's killer | 'Brave' ex-partner helped convict Olivia's killer |
| Convicts could be forced to appear at sentencing | Convicts could be forced to appear at sentencing |
| Olivia's murderer jailed for at least 42 years | Olivia's murderer jailed for at least 42 years |
| Labour leader Sir Keir added: "For some time we have been saying there needs to be a change in the law to stop this. | Labour leader Sir Keir added: "For some time we have been saying there needs to be a change in the law to stop this. |
| "For many victims and their families there is this sense of a gap in the process if the defendant doesn't actually come and face justice. Of course it is cowardly. | "For many victims and their families there is this sense of a gap in the process if the defendant doesn't actually come and face justice. Of course it is cowardly. |
| "One of the ideas would be to allow the judge to have the power to increase the sentence if the defendant didn't come into court to face justice. | "One of the ideas would be to allow the judge to have the power to increase the sentence if the defendant didn't come into court to face justice. |
| "We should look at all options - we need something that works." | "We should look at all options - we need something that works." |
| He added: "At the moment there is that profound sense of a gap for victims and their families and we need to do something about that. | He added: "At the moment there is that profound sense of a gap for victims and their families and we need to do something about that. |
| "We have been calling for this for some time now. The government says it is interested in that." | "We have been calling for this for some time now. The government says it is interested in that." |
| Other criminals who have refused to enter the dock include Koci Selamaj, who murdered primary school teacher Sabina Nessa in a park in south-east London in 2021, Zahid Younis, who murdered Henriett Szucs and Mihrican Mustafa in London and kept their bodies in a freezer in 2019, and Hashem Abedi, who helped his brother, Salman, murder 22 people in the Manchester Arena bomb in 2017. | |
| Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk | Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk |
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