Ryan Kirkpatrick: Kane Hull and Craig Porter guilty of murder

Ryan Kirkpatrick was pronounced dead at the scene

Two men have been found guilty of murdering a 24-year-old man on a night out.

Ryan Kirkpatrick was fatally stabbed by a masked attacker outside a bar at Carlyle's Court in Carlisle on 18 September 2021.

Kane Hull, 29, and Liam Craig Porter, 33, had denied murder but jurors at Carlisle Crown Court found them guilty.

The trial had heard there had been an altercation between the three men 15 minutes earlier.

Prosecutors said Hull, of Bower Street, Carlisle, put on a balaclava and stabbed Mr Kirkpatrick while Porter, of Fulmar Place in the city, helped plan the attack in a "team murder".

The killers' burned out car was found later on the night of the attack

Mr Kirkpatrick suffered three stab wounds, two to his chest and one to his abdomen, and a car used by the attackers to flee the scene was found burned out.

Prosecutors said Hull lifted his face covering after stabbing Mr Kirkpatrick so the victim knew who was responsible.

The court heard there had been "bad blood" between the three men after Hull was jailed in 2018 for affray and offensive weapon possession after Mr Kirkpatrick was chased into a Carlisle betting shop and attacked.

Kane Hull and Liam Porter were found guilty of murder

The defendants then went on the run with the help of friends, the court heard, and used fake names and stolen cars with false plates to escape to Ireland.

They were arrested 10 days later at a holiday home in Carracastle, County Mayo, with Hull found hiding in an attic.

Neither defendant chose to give evidence at their trial and jurors deliberated for seven hours before returning unanimous verdicts.

Both are due to be sentenced on Tuesday.