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Thomas Cashman: Call for criminals to be forced to attend sentencing Thomas Cashman: Renewed call to force criminals to attend sentencing
(about 1 hour later)
Zara Aleena's killer refused to appear in the dock during his sentencing hearingZara Aleena's killer refused to appear in the dock during his sentencing hearing
Criminals should be forced to appear in person when being sentenced, the aunt of a murdered law graduate said after Olivia Pratt-Korbel's killer refused. The government has been urged to press ahead with plans to force criminals to attend their own sentencing hearings.
Thomas Cashman would not enter the dock on Monday when being sentenced for the nine-year-old's murder in Liverpool. 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.
Farah Naz said Zara Aleena's killer, who also refused to go into the dock, wrongly took power in the courtroom. The aunt of another murder victim called on Justice Secretary Dominic Raab to expedite plans to compel criminals to appear for sentencing.
She called on Justice Secretary Dominic Raab to ensure such offenders should also have their sentences increased. Farah Naz also wants judges to have the ability to punish those who refuse.
"Surely the judgment is part of the punishment," she said. "We need to see that the process will deter further crime and how can the process feel like a punishment if the convict actually exercises their bit of power? The Ministry of Justice has been approached for a response.
"It's the last bit of power that needs to be taken away, certainly in our eyes. 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.
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].
"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.
"I would like Dominic Raab to move forward with developing this law.""I would like Dominic Raab to move forward with developing this law."
'Imbalance'
Ms Naz's 35-year-old niece was sexually assaulted and murdered by Jordan McSweeney after he attacked her while walking home from a night out in Ilford, Essex, on 26 June.
"We all wanted to face him when we were reading out victim impact statements," said Ms Naz.
"We wanted to be able to see him be sentenced, be judged, and to face the courtroom to face his judgement."
Ms Naz said McSweeney's refusal to appear before the judge showed an "imbalance" in the legal system.
"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."
Olivia Pratt-Korbel's killer also refused to appear in the dockOlivia Pratt-Korbel's killer also refused to appear in the dock
Ms Naz said it felt like "he still had some amount of power". 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.
"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.
"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?"
"They have committed a heinous crime and once they have been convicted surely... their rights are taken away?" 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, was jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum of 42 years for killing Olivia and injuring 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.
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 the nine-year-old girl 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."
Following McSweeney's sentencing, Dominic 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.
Steve Reed, shadow justice secretary, has also repeated Labour's calls for a change in the law to force criminals to face justice. 'Brave' ex-partner helped convict Olivia's killer
He said it was "an insult" that Cashman had "spinelessly refused to face sentencing in court for killing Olivia". Convicts could be forced to appear at sentencing
"For victims and their families, this can be a vital part of seeing justice done," he said. Olivia's murderer jailed for at least 42 years
"Victims deserve better." 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.
"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."
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."
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