Pair arrested over Olivia Pratt-Korbel murder being kept in isolation amid fears for their safety

29 August 2022, 21:21

The pair arrested following the murder of Olivia Pratt-Korbel have been locked up separately amid fears for the safety.

Olivia was shot and killed when a convicted burglar, Joseph Nee, burst into her home in Knotty Ash, Liverpool, to flee a gunman, who opened fire and hit her and injured her mother, Cheryl.

Nee was arrested for breaching his licence eight days while another man, 36, was also put behind bars on suspicion of being involved in the shooting after being detained on Thursday.

The pair are being kept in isolation while in custody amid fears a gang will order a hit on them, the Sun reported.

A source said: "The guys that ordered this shooting do not want either of these men to talk as they know they are facing big charges if the cops get any evidence.

"They have lots of contacts inside and outside prison so Nee and the suspected hitman will need to watch their backs.

"Dead people don’t talk."

It comes as police on Sunday brought in sniffer dogs to search streets near where the nine-year-old was killed in a hunt for the murder weapon.

Dozens of cops from the Matrix squad spent hours scouring the streets with hopes of getting closer to answers.

One local suggested Merseyside Police may have received fresh information overnight.

"It's the largest police presence we have had here since last Monday when she was killed," the resident told The Sun. 

"They were looking under cars and in gardens and it seemed like they were looking for something specific."

The force has made arrests over the nine-year-old's killing but still wants information about the tragedy.

It previously appealed to Liverpool's "criminal fraternity" amid worries that a "no grass" code of conduct between crooks would hamper the investigation.

Read more: Two men arrested over shooting of Olivia Pratt-Korbel, 9, released on bail as police warn 'silence is not an option'

The two men arrested over Olivia's death were bailed on Saturday.

A 36-year-old man from Huyton who was recalled to prison after breaching the terms of his licence and a 33-year-old man, from Dovecot, were arrested on suspicion of murder and two counts of attempted murder.

Following the incident, local police have cracked down on serious and organised crime, seizing vehicles, suspected Class A and B drugs, and firearms..

A total of 58 warrants were also executed in locations across Liverpool, Knowsley and St Helens.

The force said it had received over 280 submissions of intelligence from people regarding organised crime.

Detective Chief Superintendent and Head of Investigations, Mark Kameen, said: "These increasing figures are part of an ongoing operation, targeting suspected organised crime groups and serious violence across Merseyside and beyond.

"We hope these figures and the relentless work of our officers over the past week shows our commitment in targeting anyone involved in organised crime and removing dangerous weapons and drugs from our streets. 

"The information we have received from our communities has been phenomenal and vital in our recent murder investigations."

Read more: Aerial footage shows moment armed police arrest man, 36, on suspicion of the murder of Olivia Platt-Korbel

The force most recently listed the milestones nine-year-old Olivia will not reach in a fresh appeal for information about her murder.

In a video, Merseyside Police said the youngster, who was shot dead in her Liverpool home on Monday, will not reach her 18th birthday, celebrate her wedding or have children of her own.

"We’ve got parents who’ve lost their children," says the voice over, after the video named three recent victims of gun crime in Liverpool – Sam Rimmer, Ashley Dale and little Olivia.

"We’ve got a nine-year-old girl who won’t celebrate her 18th birthday, she won’t celebrate her wedding, she won’t have children of her own.

"If you’ve got information and you’re withholding it, you are protecting the killers.

"We need your information.

"Provide that information to us and we’ll do the rest."

Police are appealing for anyone who saw the Audi Q3 that they believe took Nee to hospital after the attack, and want information from anyone who saw it in the days prior to the shooting after it left Kingsheath Avenue area on Monday.

The force has warned that "silence is not an option".

It said there is "no hiding place for anyone involved in the murder of little Olivia" and added: "We need names."

Olivia's family urged people to "do the right thing", saying that providing information "is not about being a 'snitch' or a 'grass', it is about finding out who took our baby away from us".

Ashley Dale and Sam Rimmer were also featured in the video.

Ms Dale, 28, a council worker, was shot and killed in Old Swan on August 21.

She is not thought to have been the intended victim.

Mr Rimmer, 22, was shot in Dingle on August 16.