Jason Carr, who had worked for the police, looked up details of the man on trial despite judge telling jurors it was illegal to do so

An “unashamed and unrepentant” juror who spent two decades in the police has been jailed for six months after causing a rape trial to collapse by researching the defendant online.

Jason Carr thought he “knew better than the lawyers” and used his phone to search for details about the man on trial believing there were gaps in the evidence, a judge at Liverpool crown court said.

Cheryl Korbel pays tribute to her daughter after her killer was jailed for a minimum of 42 years

• Olivia Pratt-Korbel’s mother speaks of heartbreak after killer’s sentencing

Cheryl Korbel, the mother of Olivia Pratt-Korbel who was murdered by Thomas Cashman in August 2022, fought back tears as she read her victim impact statement at Manchester crown court.

This is what she said:

This is Liv [the patchwork teddy bear she was holding]. She was made by a lovely lady called Nessa. She was actually made out of Liv’s pyjamas that she lay in when she was in Snowdrops next door to Alder Hey [children’s hospital in Liverpool]. She now shares my bed of a night with me.

I was 36 and already a mum to Ryan who was 13 and Chloe who was eight when I found out I was pregnant. I was shocked. I never thought I would be starting again after nine years.

In October 2012 my mum found out she was pregnant and that started my journey to being a big sister.

Our precious little Olivia was born on 13 June 2013, which was five days after my birthday.

Merseyside police launch murder investigation after incident in the Old Swan area of the city

A woman has died after she was found with gunshot wounds in the garden of a home in Liverpool, Merseyside police have said.

Officers were called just after 12.40am to a house in the Old Swan area of the city and found a woman in the rear garden of the property with injuries to her body consistent with gunshot wounds.