Man appears in UK court charged with 9-year-old’s murder

LONDON (AP) — A man has appeared in a court in the English city of Liverpool charged with the murder of a 9-year-old girl who was shot dead in her own home. Thomas Cashman, 34, appeared in the dock of Liverpool Crown Court Monday. He is accused of murdering Olivia Pratt-Korbel, who was fatally shot when a gunman chased another man into her house in Dovecot, east of Liverpool, on Aug. 22. Cashman is also charged with the attempted murder of Olivia’s mother, Cheryl Korbel, who was wounded during the struggle, and Joseph Nee, a convicted burglar, whom the gunman was chasing. The case has shaken the city, and last month people packed local streets for Olivia’s funeral. Cashman was remanded in custody. A trial is provisionally set for March 6 next year.