Thomas Cashman, 35, was jailed for life for shooting Olivia dead at her home in Dovecot, Liverpool, on 22 August 2022.

His written application for permission to challenge his minimum jail term was rejected by a judge, without a hearing, earlier this year.

A lawyer representing him renewed that application at a Court of Appeal hearing in London on Wednesday.

Three appeal judges - Dame Victoria Sharp, Mrs Justice McGowan and Mr Justice Chamberlain - were listed to oversee the Court of Appeal hearing in London.

Cashman did not appear at the hearing.

Cashman, from West Derby in Liverpool, was chasing convicted drug dealer Joseph Nee before Olivia was shot dead.

Nee ran into the girl's home in a bid to escape when Cashman opened fire, hitting Olivia's mother Cheryl Korbel in the wrist as she tried to keep the door shut on Nee, with the same bullet killing her daughter.

Read more:
Olivia's mother 'still numb' a year after girl's death

Cashman, who was a high-level Liverpool drug dealer, was jailed in April this year, with Ms Korbel saying she was "ecstatic" after he was convicted.

Ms Korbel is among those campaigning for a change in the law to allow judges to force offenders to attend sentencing hearings, after Cashman refused to come up to the dock when he was sentenced.

In May, Solicitor General Michael Tomlinson KC said Cashman would not have his jail term increased after a number of requests were made for his prison time to be lengthened via the unduly lenient scheme.

Mr Tomlinson said Olivia's "senseless murder" had "shocked and sickened the nation", but added: "Having received detailed legal advice and considered the issues raised very carefully, I have concluded Cashman's case cannot properly be referred to the Court of Appeal".