A POLICEMAN used his hand to cover Olivia Pratt-Korbel’s bullet wound as he rushed her to hospital, an inquest has heard.
The officer scooped up the nine-year-old in his arms when he found her dying at her home.
An officer scooped up dying nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel in his arms at her home[/caption]
The PC used his hand to cover her bullet wound in a bid to save her, pictured: forensics officers at the scene[/caption]
Her heart then stopped while in the police car on the way to A&E.
And the coroner told of his shock that society had not learned from the murder of 11-year-old Rhys Jones, who was shot dead 15 years to the day Olivia was killed.
Yesterday’s inquest heard that Merseyside Police were called to reports of a shooting at a house in Kingsheath Avenue, Liverpool, on August 22 at 10pm.
Armed response officers found Olivia had been shot in the chest and her mum Cheryl Korbel, 46, in the hand.
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Senior Liverpool coroner Andre Rebello told the hearing: “Police officers scooped and ran with Olivia to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in the back of a police car.
“At approximately 10.15pm she was brought into the main entrance in the arms of a police officer.
“The officer had covered the wound to her chest with his hand and she was noted to have a weak heart, which had stopped prior to her arrival.”
Emergency medical teams struggled to save Olivia’s life, but she was pronounced dead by doctors about an hour later.
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Mr Rebello added: “Fifteen years ago, I was the coroner in Liverpool and the death of Rhys Jones was reported to me.
“It is quite shocking that society has not changed for the better.”
Rhys was shot dead on Liverpool’s Croxteth Park estate in 2007 while on his way home from football practice.
The 16-year-old gunman Sean Mercer was sentenced to life in prison for his murder in 2008.
Mr Rebello went on: “It is shocking that a nine-year-old girl, with a full life in front of her, is shot anywhere. But to be shot in the safety of her own home is heinous and unforgivable.
“There must be people in Liverpool, or elsewhere by now, who know precisely by what means Olivia died and who is responsible for her death.
‘In our thoughts and prayers’
“Olivia’s death will not just affect her immediate family and friends but also school communities, church communities not just in Knotty Ash and Dovecot areas of Liverpool but the whole city.
“I know right across the country people are shocked by Olivia’s death.
“We will keep Olivia, her family, loved ones, friends in our thoughts and prayers and, hopefully, the family will find some closure sooner rather than later.”
A post mortem examination by pathologist Jonathan Medcalf confirmed that Olivia died from the gunshot wound.
The inquest was adjourned until January next year.
Olivia was killed after a gunman chased drug dealer Joseph Nee, 35, into her home.
A 36-year-old man from Huyton and a 33-year-old from Dovecot, Merseyside, were arrested on suspicion of murder and two counts of attempted murder in relation to Olivia’s death last week. They have since been released on bail.
Police in Liverpool are also investigating the murders of Ashley Dale, 28, and Sam Rimmer, 22.
Council worker Ashley was gunned down in her home in Old Swan in the early hours of August 21. Detectives believe she was not the intended target. Two suspects were released on bail.
And officers want information on two men on electric bikes seen close to where Sam was shot dead in Dingle on August 16. Three suspects were released on bail and a fourth arrested yesterday.
Senior Liverpool coroner Andre Rebello told: ‘The officer had covered the wound to her chest with his hand and she was noted to have a weak heart’[/caption]
He also told of his shock that society had not learned from the murder of 11-year-old Rhys Jones[/caption]
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Cop hunt steps up
POLICE carried out dozens of searches yesterday in a hunt for clues that could lead them to Olivia’s killer.
Roadblocks were set up near where the nine-year-old was shot dead in the Dovecot area of Liverpool.
Officers from the Matrix unit were pictured handcuffing a male driver after his BMW was pulled over.
More than 60 stop and searches were made yesterday, with 32 arrests.
