Officer 'scooped up' Olivia Pratt-Korbel and 'covered gunshot wound with hand' as he rushed her to hospital

30 August 2022, 23:04

A police officer tried to save the life of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel by "scooping" her up and covering her gunshot wound with his hand as he rushed her to hospital, an inquest has heard.

Olivia was fatally shot as her mother tried to stop a stranger, who was fleeing a gunman, from entering her home in Knotty Ash, Liverpool, on Monday 22 August.

A post-mortem examination found her medical cause of death was a gunshot wound to the chest, Andre Rebello, the senior coroner for Liverpool said.

Mr Rebello spoke of his shock as he opened the inquest into the fatal shooting of Olivia, 15 years after he presided over the death of 11-year-old Rhys Jones after he was shot in the city in August 2007.

The inquest was told how officers from Merseyside Police "scooped and ran" with the schoolgirl after they were called to the incident at around 10pm.

Mr Rebello said: "Armed response officers attended and a nine-year-old child, Olivia Pratt-Korbel, was discovered with a gunshot wound to her chest.

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"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 in hospital."

He said medical teams met Olivia as she arrived at the hospital and a major trauma call was put out.

Cardiac massage and a rapid blood transfusion were given to Olivia at the hospital, but at 11.15pm she had no cardiac output, the coroner said.

"At 11.25pm, after extensive efforts by all involved, the decision was made to stop resuscitation and Olivia was confirmed as having died," Mr Rebello said.

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"I understand there's a live homicide investigation and though there have been several arrests nobody stands charged with murder."

A 36-year-old man from Huyton and a 33-year-old from Dovecot were arrested on suspicion of murder and two counts of attempted murder in relation to Olivia's death last week and have been released on bail.

The coroner added: "Fifteen years ago I was the coroner in Liverpool and the death of Rhys was reported to me.

"It is quite shocking that society has not changed for the better.

"It is shocking that a nine-year-old little girl, with a full life in front of her, is shot anywhere, but to be shot in her own home, in the safety of her home, is heinous and unforgiving."

"Olivia's death will not just affect her immediate family and friends but also school communities, church communities, not just in the Knotty Ash and Dovecot areas of Liverpool but the whole city, Merseyside, and I know right across this country people are shocked by Olivia's death," the coroner added.

"I understand Merseyside Police would be very grateful for anyone with any information who could bring some knowledge to the circumstances in which Olivia came by her death, no matter how insignificant that information may be."

The inquest heard that Olivia was born in Liverpool to mother Cheryl Korbel, a support worker, and father John Francis Pratt, a mechanic.

He released the body to the family for burial and adjourned the inquest to January 4.