Men held over Olivia Pratt-Korbel's murder bailed

  • Published
Olivia Pratt-KorbelImage source, Family handout
Image caption,

Olivia Pratt-Korbel was shot after a gunman ran into her home

Two men who were arrested on suspicion of the murder of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel in Liverpool have been released on bail.

Police said one of the men, aged 36, had been recalled to prison after breaching the terms of his licence.

Olivia was fatally shot after a gunman chased a man - both of whom had no links to her family - into her home.

Her mum was injured as she tried to the shut the door but the attacker fired more shots at the man he had pursued.

On Thursday, Merseyside Police arrested the 36-year-old man on suspicion of Olivia's murder and two counts of attempted murder.

They also detained a 33-year-old man for the same offences on Friday.

A spokeswoman for Merseyside Police said: "Both men have been released on bail and the 36-year-old man has been recalled to prison after breaching the terms of his licence."

Image caption,

Ashley Dale, Sam Rimmer and Karen Dempsey were also killed this August

Police appealed for more information about a black Audi Q3 that was seen leaving Kingsheath Avenue, Dovecot, after Monday's shooting and is believed to be the same car used to take intended target Joseph Nee, 35, to hospital.

They said they wanted information about the car's movements in the days before Olivia's death.

She was one of four people who were killed in a week in Merseyside amid a recent rise of gun and knife crimes.

A number of people have been arrested after the deaths of Ashley Dale, Sam Rimmer and Karen Dempsey this August.

Earlier on Saturday, thousands of football fans applauded in memory of Olivia during the ninth minute of Liverpool's game at Anfield, with fans singing You'll Never Walk Alone.

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson wore a shirt in tribute to Olivia

It was part of a series of tributes in the city to the four victims of the violence.

Balloons were released at the city's Sefton Park in memory of Ashley Dale, who was gunned down in her garden on Sunday.

Karen Dempsey, 55, was also found stabbed in a pub car park in Kirkby on Monday. Her son has been charged with her murder.

Meanwhile, police have also arrested a fourth person on suspicion of the murder of 22-year-old Sam Rimmer on 16 August.

He was with a group of friends in Lavrock Bank cul-de-sac when they were shot at by riders on two electric bikes, Merseyside Police said.

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

A minute's applause was held during the game against Bournemouth

A 23-year-old man from Liverpool is being interviewed by detectives after he was detained on suspicion of murder.

A 17-year-old boy and two men, aged 20 and 21, who were previously arrested on suspicion of murder have since been bailed.

The government has said it will allocate £500,000 for Merseyside to counter crime and provide mental health support after the recent killings.

However Liverpool City Region mayor Steve Rotheram described it as a "down payment", saying "the systemic issues that have led us to this situation will require further support".

Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, external, Twitter, external and Instagram, external? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk, external

Related internet links

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.