Pair found guilty of murdering man in Carlisle

Ryan Kirkpatrick died after being attacked inside Caryle's Court

Ryan Kirkpatrick
Author: Harry BoothPublished 24th Oct 2022

Two men have been found guilty of murdering Ryan Kirkpatrick in Carlisle last year.

Kane Hull (29), of no fixed address, and Liam Craig Porter (33), of Fulmar Place, Carlisle, each denied one charge of murder and also pleaded not guilty to a second alternative allegation of manslaughter.

Mr. Kirkpatrick (24) was fatally stabbed at Carlyle's Court in the city centre just before 9pm on 18 September 2021.

Despite CPR being carried out, he sadly died at the scene.

The court heard that Hull and Porter accepted being at Carlyle's Court at around 8:30pm when an incident involving Hull and Mr. Kirkpatrick took place.

However, both Hull and Porter denied being in the area during a second incident 15 minutes later when Mr. Kirkpatrick was killed.

CCTV showed a person in dark clothing with a hood up running towards the victim and stabbing him in front of bystanders.

The attacker then appeared to pull away their face covering. As that knife-carrying suspect ran from the courtyard, along with a second person dressed in dark clothing, their hood slipped down.

That revealed a 'distinctive hairline' which the prosecution alleged was a match for Hull.

The prosecution alleged that Hull and Porter came together to form 'team murder' and that they were 'in it together' 'with the joint plan that Ryan Kirkpatrick was to be stabbed.'

Prosecutor Tim Evans presented phone and CCTV data, which he alleged showed the pair's bid to evade police in the days after the stabbing with the help of others.

One witness reported seeing burning items being thrown from a car window in the Smithfield area of Cumbria.

They're said to have stayed at a hotel in Alston before boarding a ferry to Northern Ireland.

Hull and Porter were arrested at a rural retreat in County Mayo in the Republic of Ireland ten days after the fatal incident.

Hull was found hiding in an attic.

A number of items were seized - including a white iPhone, five carrier bags with clothes and a shopping list that contained 'wigs', 'glasses' and 'hair dye'.

No evidence was given by - or on behalf of - Hull or Porter.

A barrister representing Hull suggested to the jury that there's insufficient evidence on which to convict him.

But today, after 7 hours of deliberations, the jury returned guilty verdicts to both men.

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