THE 42-year sentence passed on Thomas Cashman for killing Olivia Pratt-Korbel is too lenient, according to a former Liverpool gang member.

Sicarius McGrath told GB News: “I personally thought it was quite lenient, myself, although it’s a lengthy sentence in the circumstance.

“I thought it was quite lenient because there are other people who are getting similar sentences for killing other gang members.

“We can’t escape the fact that in this case it’s a young, innocent child who’s been murdered. And I feel taking that into account, the sentence is lenient.”

In a discussion with Patrick Christys, he said: “I was expecting a whole life order. He was convicted of the murder of a child and I think that justifies a whole life order.

“If it doesn’t, if the judge was unable to pass that, which I’m not sure she was or not, then Parliament and MPs need to revisit this…because anyone who harms a child in this way, then the least punishment that needs to be passed as a whole life order and less won’t suffice.”

He continued: “The community needs to recognise the fact that drugs are the primary driving factor behind the discharge of firearms in Merseyside and in other cities.

“So, when people are taking social drugs such as cocaine, or even having a spliff with cannabis, they need to understand where the money’s going back to back to.

“It’s gone back into funding weapons, to purchase weapons, which then has a ripple effect and results in matters like this, where there’s innocent children being murdered.”

Asked what advice he would give someone thinking of joining a gang, Mr McGarth said: “There’s only three ways it’s going to end. It’s going to end in death, a long prison sentence, or it’s going to end in addiction.

“There are nopositive elements to gang life, gang culture. And the sentence in this case, even though it’s lenient, demonstrates that the authorities and the courts are not willing to tolerate this type of behaviour.

“It’s so easy for anyone when they’re firing a gun to harm innocent people, even though it’s not intended.”