Everything you need to know about new C4 documentary Merseyside Detectives: The Murders of Ashley and Olivia

A brand-new documentary will follow the hunt for justice after the killings of Olivia Pratt-Korbel and Ashley Dale in Liverpool.

Filmed over two years, Merseyside Detectives: The Murders of Ashley and Olivia follows every twist and turn in the two high-profile murder investigations.

“In the summer of 2022 the nation was rocked to its core by the senseless killings of Olivia Pratt-Korbel and Ashley Dale,” says Channel 4 Documentaries Commissioner Sacha Mirzoeff.

“Both were shot dead within hours of each other. Both were innocent bystanders. The public demanded immediate answers and Merseyside Police were under massive pressure to bring the perpetrators to justice.”

Series Creative Director Colin McKeown, from LA Productions, said:

“At the centre of this documentary series is the story of two innocent victims of gun crime in Liverpool, so it was vital that we paid the utmost care and attention to their loved ones and their grief.

“Having built strong connections with Merseyside Police, we worked closely with the force to ensure that we handled the project in the most sensitive way possible as these stories unfolded and the city’s communities came together.

“As we approach the second anniversary of both of these tragic incidents, we continue to have Olivia and Ashley’s families in our thoughts.”

Here’s everything you need to know about Merseyside Detectives: The Murders of Ashley and Olivia…

Olivia Pratt-Korbel' Mother Cheryl, at home in Liverpool. Credit: Merseyside Detectives. — Olivia Pratt-Korbel’ Mother Cheryl, at home in Liverpool. Credit: Merseyside Detectives.

When can I watch it?

The first episode will be screened on Monday, August 19, at 9pm on C4.

How many episodes are there?

There are four episodes of the compelling new series, with all remaining episodes being screened on consecutive nights, Tuesday to Thursday, August 20-21, again at 9pm on C4.

Ashley Dale's mother Julie, at home in Liverpool with a photo of Ashley. Credit: Merseyside Detectives. — Ashley Dale’s mother Julie, at home in Liverpool with a photo of Ashley. Credit: Merseyside Detectives.

Who has produced it?

Liverpool’s LA Productions, founded and headed by renowned TV and film producer Colin McKeown, was commissioned by C4 to produce the series and Sacha Mirzoeff has praised them, saying: “This is the highly sensitive inside-story of how the police investigating teams go about their work while the families tell their side of the story from within the Merseyside community. Together they make a heart-rending, compulsive series which has been handled with compassion and aplomb by the LA Productions team.”

What happened and when?

On Sunday, August 21, 2022, in the early hours of the morning in Liverpool, 28-year-old Ashley Dale was fatally gunned down in her own home. Less than two days later and only two miles away, nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel was shot dead in her home. With Liverpool left reeling and in shock as to how and why it could have happened, it soon became clear that Ashley and Olivia were both innocent victims caught in the middle of a feud by organised crime groups.

Merseyside Detectives - Mother Julie and Ashley Dale — Merseyside Detectives – Mother Julie and Ashley Dale

Police under pressure

As media descended on the city, Merseyside Police came under immediate pressure to find both gunmen. And, for the first time in 24 years, the Force allowed documentary cameras to follow their work, as the investigation unfolded and they were in search of answers and justice for the families.

Exclusive access

LA Productions was given exclusive access to Merseyside Police – and to both mothers of Olivia and Ashley who speak in heart-wrenching detail about the loss of their daughters – and the need to do the right thing.

Sister Chloe Korbel, Mother Cheryl Korbel and Olivia Pratt-Korbel

Episode 1

In episode one, news of the two killings becomes known and detectives ask if Ashley’s phone could provide the key to why she was killed. Olivia’s mum Cheryl recounts in harrowing detail what happened on the night of her murder.

Episode 2

We see Cheryl making a public appeal to those who know anything to come forward and speak out, addressing her daughter’s killer directly. In Ashley’s murder investigation, voice notes on her phone reveal a long-standing feud – and mum Julie recalls a visit to her daughter’s boyfriend after the murder.

Episode 3

The suspect in Olivia’s shooting is arrested but there’s not enough to detain him. In Ashley’s murder investigation, detectives track the movements of a car seen in the street at the time of the shooting and identify two men.

Episode 4

In Ashley’s murder investigation, the encrypted phone of the suspected mastermind behind her shooting is seized revealing messages between him and his OCG lieutenant about buying drugs and firearms; Olivia’s case goes to trial, and mum Cheryl vows to make it her mission to change the law in her daughter’s name.