Olivia Pratt-Korbel: Witness tells court Thomas Cashman is innocent of murder - Sky News

Thomas Cashman, the man accused of murdering nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel in Liverpool last August, is innocent, an alibi witness has told Manchester Crown Court.

Nicky McHale told a jury he saw Cashman, 34, smoking cannabis in a garden around the time of the shooting at about 10pm on August 22.

Mr McHale, 32, said he had been watching football on TV at home on Snowberry Road, Dovecot, and when the match had finished he went outside to smoke a cigarette.

While he stood at his front door, Mr McHale told the jury, he looked across the road and saw Cashman smoking cannabis in the front garden of the house opposite.

Image: Thomas Cashman denies charges against him

The pair spoke briefly about the football match, Mr McHale said, before he went back inside his home.

Mr McHale's evidence was challenged by the prosecution's barrister, David McLachlan KC, who asked the witness: "Why are you here Mr McHale?"

Mr McHale, who was giving evidence from behind a screen, said: "Because I know Thomas Cashman is innocent."

Mr McLachlan continued: "Been put up to being here?"

"No, I'm not," the witness replied.

Cashman is charged with murdering Olivia, who was fatally shot when a gunman opened fire while chasing convicted drug dealer Joseph Nee into her and her mother's home.

Read more:
Man accused of murder tells court he was smoking 'a spliff' with a friend at time of shooting
Olivia Pratt-Korbel's mother walks out of court as Cashman denies being gunman
Brother recounts moment gunman tried to force his way into family home

Cashman is alleged to have shot Nee, 36, in the street, before Nee fled into Olivia's home as her mother Cheryl Korbel tried to block his entry.

Cashman is then accused of firing again, the bullet hitting Ms Korbel in the hand, then hitting and killing her daughter, who was standing behind her.

After the shooting, Cashman is alleged to have gone to the house of a woman he had a fling with and changed his clothes.

Earlier in the trial, the jury heard from the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

She claimed he went to her house after the shooting where he changed his clothes and she heard him saying he had "done Joey".

However, Mr McHale said after seeing Cashman across the road the defendant was later in his house to smoke more cannabis and asked for a drink.

He did not have any in the house, so used Cashman's van to go to a local shop to buy some, his trip being caught on CCTV.

Earlier Mr McHale said he had never given evidence in court before and his only previous conviction was for possession with intent to supply £4,000 worth of cannabis.

Cashman has admitted being a "high-level" cannabis dealer, making up to £5,000 a week in drug money, but denies he was the gunman who shot Olivia dead.

The trial continues.

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2023-03-24 17:08:39Z
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Rishi Sunak’s Brexit deal for Northern Ireland formally signed off with EU - The Guardian

Rishi Sunak’s Brexit deal for Northern Ireland has been formally signed off at a meeting in London, after a Conservative rebellion against the deal failed this week.

James Cleverly, the foreign secretary, adopted the new arrangements for Northern Ireland at a meeting with the European Commission vice-president Maroš Šefčovič.

It comes after Sunak won the overwhelming backing of MPs for the Windsor framework, which seeks to overcome trade problems with the Northern Ireland protocol struck in the original Brexit deal.

Boris Johnson was one of the 22 Tory MPs who refused to back the revised deal, along with the Democratic Unionist party, but they failed to stop the passage of the new arrangements. Others who opposed the plan were Sunak’s immediate predecessor as prime minister, Liz Truss, the former Tory party leader Iain Duncan Smith, and the former cabinet ministers Jacob Rees-Mogg, Priti Patel and Simon Clarke.

In a joint statement, Cleverly and Šefčovič said they had met in a “constructive atmosphere”.

“The joint committee welcomed the positive approach of both sides and adopted the new arrangements set out in the Windsor framework.

“These arrangements address, in a definitive manner, the challenges in the operation of the protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland over the last two years and the everyday issues faced by people and businesses in Northern Ireland, while supporting and protecting the Good Friday or Belfast agreement in all its parts, and protecting the integrity of the European Union’s single market, and Northern Ireland’s place in the United Kingdom’s internal market.

“Both sides agreed to work together intensively and faithfully to implement all elements of the Windsor framework. The United Kingdom and European Union also reaffirmed their intent to use all available mechanisms in the framework to address and jointly resolve any relevant future issues that may emerge.”

No 10 had feared a bigger rebellion but in the end did not need to rely on Labour votes for the legislation to pass.

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Alongside the 22 Tory rebels, another 47 Conservatives recorded no vote but the revolt was not big enough to cause trouble for Downing Street, as would have been the case if 34 or more Conservative MPs had rebelled.

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2023-03-24 18:36:00Z
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King Charles’ visit to France postponed as protests continue over Macron pension reforms - The Independent

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King Charles has been forced to postpone his state visit to France as police and protesters continue to clash over president Emmanuel Macron’s retirement age reforms.

The monarch’s three-day trip with his wife Camilla, Queen Consort from Sunday was set to be his first abroad after becoming King - but it is being rescheduled following the announcement of more widespread protests.

The French feared the security of the King could not be guaranteed “because of his interest in mingling with crowds”, according to security sources in Paris, after a crack team of officers from the SDLP Protection Service unit rigorously studied the monarch’s profile.

The King and Queen Consort “greatly look forward to the opportunity to visit France as soon as dates can be found”, Buckingham Palace said on Friday morning.

The monarch’s trip next week with his wife Camilla, Queen Consort was set to be his first abroad after becoming king

(James Glossop/The Times)

Mr Macron suggested the new date for the King’s visit to France would be in the “early summer”.

The news comes after the historic Bordeaux city hall in France was set on fire on the day of the biggest protest yet against President Macron’s controversial attempts to push through reforms to raise the pension age from 62 to 64 without a vote in the National Assembly, the lower house of the French parliament.

Protesters march during a rally in Paris on Thursday

Protesters gathered outside the Palais Rohan cheered as a part of the building went up in flames, one of a number of incidents of vandalism and violence across the country on Thursday evening after a day of largely peaceful strike action.

Upwards of one million people are reported to have taken part in protests and marches across France on Thursday as part of the ninth round of union-organised demonstrations, which have taken place since January. Building on the strong turnout, unions have called for fresh protests in the coming days.

Protesters clash with police officers during a demonstration in Lyon, central France

A source who was involved in the planning of four days of events across France said security “became aware of the King’s habit of impromptu handshakes, and talking to ordinary people whenever he could. There are huge social tensions in France, and there is no doubt that such good manners could have been very dangerous indeed”.

Confirming the postponed visit earlier, a government spokesperson said: “The King and Queen Consort’s state visit to France has been postponed. This decision was taken with the consent of all parties, after the President of France asked the British Government to postpone the visit.”

It is understood new dates for the visit will be confirmed shortly.

Bordeaux City Hall in France was set on fire on the day of the biggest protest yet

Sir Peter Westmacott, a former British ambassador to France, said he could not think of any precedent after the King’s first state visit of his reign was postponed.

He told BBC Radio 4’s World at One programme that he was “not entirely surprised” at the decision, but agreed it was a “big deal”.

He said that he expected the King to be disappointed about the decision, given his fondness for the country.

A protester holds a placard that reads ‘destitution of the cursed poet’ during a rally in Paris on Thursday

(Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Mr Macron told a press conference that “common sense and friendship” led to the “detestable” decision.

President Macron’s popularity is at an all-time low as he faces the biggest domestic crisis of his second term in office. There have been eight straight nights of rioting, with arson attacks on areas which were due to be visited by Charles.

King Charles, then Prince of Wales, greeting the President of France Emmanuel Macron (right) in 2021

Around 119,000 people marched through Paris on Thursday, according to data from the country’s Interior Ministry. The General Confederation of Labour, however, claimed the number to be much higher, at 800,000.

Around 80 people were arrested by police and 123 police personnel and gendarmes were injured amid widespread violence and rioting, French interior minister Gérald Darmanin said on Thursday evening. He said 12,000 security forces had been deployed on Thursday, with 5,000 of these stationed in Paris.

The state visit was set to begin on Sunday and to include a ride along the Champs-Elysées in the heart of Paris and a banquet at Versailles with President Emmanuel Macron, culminating in a visit to Bordeaux on Tuesday.

The trip, which was to be followed by a state visit to Germany, had been in the planning by the UK and host nations for months, aimed at strengthening ties between Britain and its continental neighbours.

Riot police scuffle with protesters during a rally in Paris on Thursday

French labour union CGT union announced this week that its members at Mobilier National, the institution in charge of providing flags, red carpets and furniture for public buildings, would not help prepare a Sunday reception for the king upon his arrival in Paris.

In a statement, the Elysee Palace said: “In light of yesterday’s announcement of a new national day of action against pension reforms on Tuesday, March 28, in France, the visit of King Charles III, originally scheduled for March 26 to 29 in our country, will be postponed.

“This decision was taken by the French and British governments after a telephone exchange between the President of the Republic and the King this morning, in order to be able to welcome His Majesty King Charles III in conditions that correspond to our friendly relationship.

“This state visit will be rescheduled as soon as possible.”

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2023-03-24 15:40:54Z
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Boris Johnson’s pathetic Partygate defence fools nobody - The Guardian

Boris Johnson said it was “my job” to say goodbye to colleagues, that he would have needed an “electric fence” around him to stick to the rules, and that social distancing only applied “when possible” (Boris Johnson facing formal reprimand for misleading parliament, 22 March).

As someone with power of attorney, it was “my job” to represent my friend when he was seriously ill in his nursing home. Normally I would fulfil the obligations of my job by visiting him regularly. This was denied to us during in the pandemic.

He died a few days after testing positive for Covid, having spent months more or less in isolation. Perhaps some of this would not have been necessary if Johnson had paid sufficient attention to doing his job by attending Cobra meetings in the earliest days of the pandemic. Perhaps he would have been more on top of his job and this could have kept the infection rates lower.
Ann Holden
Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria

So leaving-do gatherings and drinks were “essential” for valued work colleagues, but no gathering together was allowed for those having the ultimate “leaving do”, where distraught relatives were denied giving comfort and saying farewell to their dying loved ones.
Marika McGregor
Corinaldo, Italy

For the funeral of my wife of 50 years in April 2021, we found a crematorium 30 miles away that would allow 30 people to attend. Local businesses limited numbers to 20. The funeral was socially distanced, with masks and separated seating. There was no wake or chance to grieve together. I received over 100 bereavement cards, many from couples and families. To suggest, as Boris Johnson does, that large gatherings and celebrations were “absolutely essential for work purposes” is not just an insult but deeply hurtful.
Les O’Leary
St Albans, Hertfordshire

I watched Boris Johnson’s interrogation. As a retired chartered building surveyor, I find it hard to believe that Johnson, in his upstairs flat, could not be aware of a party that was going on until well after midnight, with perhaps 30 to 40 people socialising and drinking on the floor below, when the only acoustic barrier was a lath and plaster ceiling and a timber-boarded floor. People in council flats with concrete floors get into fights for less than that.
Styx Kershaw
Manchester

Following Boris Johnson’s defence of government parties, can we assume that all those citizens fined during lockdown can now ask for their money back on the grounds that no government adviser personally told them they were breaking the rules?
Jill Wallis
Aston Clinton, Buckinghamshire

If Boris Johnson’s lawyer reportedly can charge £5,000 per hour, how much will it cost taxpayers for the defence of this egoistical squanderer and his Humpty Dumpty definition of word meaning?
Margaret Martlew
Sheffield

If the argument that Boris Johnson put forward to the privileges committee was based on advice from a very expensive lawyer, Johnson should ask for the money back and then return it to the British people.
Peter Dewar
Bromley, London

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2023-03-23 18:20:00Z
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Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer paid £118,580 in tax since 2020 - BBC

Reuters

By Joshua Nevett

BBC Politics

Sir Keir Starmer paid £118,580 in UK tax over the last two years, according to financial records released by the Labour leader.

The records show he paid the tax on total earnings of £359,720 from income and capital gains since 2020.

Sir Keir's release comes a day after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak published details of his finances.

Mr Sunak became the first prime minister since David Cameron to disclose his tax affairs.

Sir Keir's income and capital gains last year were dwarfed by those of Mr Sunak, who earned more than £1.9m - nine times more than the Labour leader.

Mr Sunak's records show he paid more than £1m in UK tax on earnings of more than £4.7m between 2019 and 2022.

• Starmer: I would scrap my own pension tax perk
• Sunak paid £1m in UK tax since 2019, records show
• Rishi Sunak: What we know about his family's wealth

The Labour leader's records show the total UK tax he paid was:

• £51,547 on total earnings of £147,633 in 2020/21
• £67,033 on total earnings of £212,087 in 2021/22

His earnings last year included more than £85,000 in capital gains from the sale of a home he had bought with his sister, which she and her children had lived in.

'Trust in politics'

In 2020/21, the Labour leader, who is a barrister, received more than £21,000 for legal services. He stopped taking on legal work when he became Labour leader in April 2020.

He has also earned small amounts in book royalties in both the tax years reported in the document.

Last year his salary for being an MP was £76,961 and he received as extra £49,193 for being leader of the opposition.

Sir Keir has previously called for senior politicians - including the prime minister and the chancellor - to publish their tax returns "as a matter of course" to ensure there is "trust in politics".

At a press conference earlier, he said he was "glad" the prime minster had published his tax details but said "there's a wider point about choices here".

He said the record of tax policy under Conservative governments over the past decade showed "they always go after working people" rather than the wealthiest people in society.

'Cost of living'

When asked about his tax affairs earlier, Mr Sunak has he was pleased to be able to release information about his taxes "in the interest of transparency".

But "the most important thing", he said, "is what am I doing to help people in this country with the cost of living".

The release of tax details by senior politicians is a recent development in British politics, though neither of the previous two prime ministers, Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, released theirs.

The last prime minister to do so was Mr Cameron, who published a summary of the tax he had paid following revelations about his late father's offshore fund.

But like Mr Cameron and Mr Sunak, Sir Keir only released a summary of his income and gains, rather than an official tax return filed with HM Revenue & Customs.

In contrast, earlier this year, Nicola Sturgeon published her HMRC tax returns for the years since she became Scotland's first minister, and has urged other politicians, including Mr Sunak, to follow.

Related Topics

• Keir Starmer
• Tax
• Labour Party

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2023-03-23 17:54:11Z
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Head teachers call for Ofsted to be replaced - BBC

PA Media

By Vanessa Clarke

Education reporter

Teachers and head teachers handed a petition to the government on Thursday, calling for Ofsted to be replaced.

The petition was started before head teacher Ruth Perry took her own life while waiting for an Ofsted report.

Ms Perry's family have blamed her death on the "intolerable pressure" of the inspection, which downgraded her primary school to "inadequate".

The Department for Education says inspections are "hugely important" and "a legal requirement".

The National Education Union wants Ofsted, England's schools' watchdog, replaced with a "supportive, effective and fair" accountability system.

The petition, signed by 52,000 people, also calls on the government to work with teachers and leaders to look at how these work in other high-performing education nations.

Estyn, which looks after inspections in Wales, has replaced a single overall grade with an overview of findings focusing on a school's strengths and areas for development and a separate report summary for parents.

• Why are outstanding schools being downgraded?
• Schools cut Ofsted references in tribute to head

Following an inspection in England, schools are rated:

• outstanding
• good
• requires improvement
• inadequate

It was "absurd that the whole school life is condensed into a single-word judgement", NEU deputy general secretary Niamh Sweeney said.

Accountability was important but "the inspection and the surveillance culture" was making high numbers of staff leave, she added.

Three teachers' unions, including the NEU, have called for inspections to be paused and a review.

Some head teachers are also removing references to Ofsted from websites, job adverts and letters, in tribute to Ms Perry.

Brighter Futures for Children

And James Denny, a parent from Reading who works with schools to help children experience more arts and culture, is organising a vigil outside Ofsted's offices in London, on Thursday.

He remembers as a child in the 1990s the fear an Ofsted inspection brought schools but "things have got so much worse since then".

He was not campaigning against Ofsted inspectors, Mr Denny said, but the way the watchdog worked "is no longer fit for purpose".

The Department for Education said inspections held schools to account for their educational standards and "parents greatly rely on the ratings to give them confidence in choosing the right school for their child".

Related Topics

• Schools
• Ofsted
• National Education Union

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2023-03-23 13:20:36Z
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Boris Johnson would lose Uxbridge by-election, says Tory pollster - The Independent

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Boris Johnson’s attempt at a political comeback is “finished”, according senior Tory Caroline Nokes after his torrid grilling by MPs at the televised Partygate inquiry hearing.

And a Tory polling guru said the former prime minister would lose his Uxbridge and Ruislip seat if he is punished severely by the cross-party committee and forced to face a by-election in the months ahead.

Lord Hayward told The Independent: “Although the position for the Conservatives is improving, under current circumstances the Tories would lose a by-election in Uxbridge. There’s no question the party would face defeat to Labour.”

The Tory polling expert said it was “difficult to judge” whether Mr Johnson’s own appeal could defy the grim national polling for the Tories. “If the Lib Dems choose to compete hard against Labour, it might just make it possible it could be saved,” he said.

The former prime minister is struggling to revive his political career after the cross-party committee investigating his Partygate denials denounced the “flimsy” assurances they were based on.

Mr Nokes said Mr Johnson’s unlikely comeback hopes were “finished”, as the committee suggested he had failed to correctly interpret his own Covid guidance or seek proper advice.

Asked if Mr Johnson is finished if he is punished by the privileges committee for misleading the Commons, Ms Nokes told ITV’s Peston: “I think that Boris Johnson is finished anyway.”

“I think there was a very clear message from his own ministers back in the summer that they didn’t want him to carry on,” said the equalities select committee chair. “As far as I’m concerned, Boris Johnson is not coming back as prime minister.”

In a short-tempered testimony lasting more than three hours, Mr Johnson insisted there was not a “shred of evidence” to show he lied to MPs and said it have been “utterly insane” for him to have done so.

But senior Tory Sir Bernard Jenkin questioned why Mr Johnson failed to take “proper advice” on Covid guidance before claiming in parliament it had been followed “completely”.

And it emerged the then-PM had been warned against making his infamous remarks in the Commons by his principle private secretary Martin Reynolds.

Boris leaves his London home day after Partygate hearing

If a suspension of at least 10 days is voted through by MPs, a by-election in Mr Johnson’s seat could be triggered. But many Tory MPs believe the committee may stop short of a 10-day suspension – even though they expect him to be found guilty of “recklessly” misleading the Commons.

Jacob Rees-Mogg – one of the few voices in a dwindling band of loyalists who still support Mr Johnson – claimed his old boss had “won” public support with his defences – despite them being met with exasperation by the cross-party panel of MPs.

The senior Tory MP told Channel 4 News: “Boris Johnson today has won in the court of public opinion.”

Boris Johnson ‘won in court of public opinion’, claims Jacob Rees-Mogg

He added: “I think that if Boris Johnson went to a by-election he would win it comfortably. Because I think he’s winning in the court of public opinion, who see this as a kangaroo court.”

The former Brexit minister said the Johnson evidence was “very convincing” and claimed it was “perfectly reasonable” for the ex-PM to think No 10 leaving dos were in the remit of Covid regulations.

Mr Rees-Mogg’s remarkable claim about the “court of public opinion” comes as the latest YouGov poll shows 72 per cent of the public think Mr Johnson is dishonest (while only 13 per cent believe he is honest).

Boris Johnson endured torrid time at Partygate hearing

Mr Johnson also indicated he may refuse to accept the inquiry’s verdict if it finds he committed a contempt of parliament by deliberately misleading the Commons – saying he would “wait to see”.

The remark was echoed by Conservative chairman Greg Hands when asked if the committee was being fair to Mr Johnson. “We’ll have to wait and see,” he told Peston. “I think it’s impossible to judge that until we see the report.”

Offering his verdict on Thursday’s hearing, Will Walden, Mr Johnson’s former communication chief, said: “He’ll be wanting to tell himself it’s all alright – but I don’t think it is, really. It was a bit of mess. He was churlish, frustrated, disbelieving, stroppy, shameless.”

Mr Walden added: “A man with an elastic relationship with the truth, swearing on a bible to tell the truth about whether in the past he told the truth or not – I mean you literally couldn’t make it up.”

Labour MP Chris Bryant, who recused himself from leading the inquiry, said: “I got the impression [Mr Johnson] knows perfectly well the rules weren’t followed.”

“He’s always known the rule weren’t perfectly – and he’s always sort of tried to cover it up ... His mind is very, very muddled. I think he knows deep in his heart he’s got this wrong from the very beginning but he can’t own up to it.”

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2023-03-23 14:41:22Z
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