'They're cowards' - Ryan's heartbroken mother tells court

Like every person in the room, he listened intently as the prosecution's barrister Kim Whittlestone read aloud the statement of Ryan Kirkpatrick’s mother Andrea Johnston, describing how her world was shattered.

It was utterly heart-breaking.

Just two days from his 25th birthday, Ryan had decided to spend time socialising with his friends, going first to a Christening at Wreay village, south of Carlisle, and then on to the city centre for drinks at a bar in Carlyle's Court.

“Ryan still lived at home with me, and so on the evening of September 18, 2021, I was at home looking after his dog Frank,” wrote Andrea.

“At around 8pm I spoke with Ryan on the phone to check on his wellbeing, as I was anxious that it was his first time out in a long time. He’d been staying at home due to Kane Hull’s repeated threats against his life.

“Ryan knew how worried I was about him, and offered to come home, but because I knew he was out having a nice time for the first time in so long, I told him I’d be OK as long as he was.

“He said “I’m alright, Mam. I’ll be home soon though, love you”. I told him I loved him too and then we both said: ‘love you. Bye.’ Those were our last words.”

Less than an hour later, Andrea was summoned to Carlyle’s Court, where she found a distressing scene – uniformed police officers guarding the now closed gates to the courtyard. She knew Ryan was hurt, but little more.

“I told them: “That’s my son in there; let me in!’

“But they wouldn’t let me in. I pleaded to be by Ryan’s side as he needed me more than any other time in his life. I’m his mother… he needed to know he was not alone…

“An officer at the gate then asked me to accompany him into the back of the ambulance. At first, I thought I’d be told Ryan was stable; that they were about to move him into an ambulance and take him to the hospital.

“But as soon as that young officer turned and looked at me, I gasped; it was like my life was being sucked from me. I choked out the words “he’s gone, hasn’t he?”

“He solemnly nodded and said 'yes.' Even in the midst of my own despair, I felt sorry for that officer having to tell me, and I even said so to him.”

That compassion was in stark contrast to the behaviour of the two men this week convicted of murdering Ryan.

Over two weeks, as Kane Hull, 29, and his sidekick Liam Porter, 33, continued to deny responsibility for the attack, a jury heard distressing and  compelling evidence of their guilt.

Kane Hull, 29, and Liam Porter, 33, are facing nearly three decades behind bars before they are even eligible to apply for release to the Parole Board. (Image: Cumbria Police)

Four years earlier, Hull was jailed for attacking Ryan in a Carlisle bookmakers. Armed with an aluminium winch, and supported by two accomplices, Hull chased Ryan into the shop and attacked him, punching and kicking.

Only the intervention of two workers at the shop saved Ryan from a more serious beating. Given a 21-month jail term, Hull was resentful – and determined to exact revenge.

The deadly attack on September 18 was precisely that – revenge.

Yet Hull’s first attempt that day to target Ryan ended in failure. At 8.31pm, he and Porter – clearly tipped off that Ryan was there – arrived in Carlyle’s Court. CCTV showed Hull emptying a beer glass – and then rushing towards Ryan.

Again, his attempted violence was foiled by brave bystanders, who stood between Hull and his intended victim. Frustrated, humiliated, he left with Porter.

Barely 15 minutes later, the two men were back – this time disguised in hoodies and masks, Hull clutching a knife. Ryan had resisted suggestions by his friends to leave Carlyle’s Court, determined enjoy his night out.

As he chatted to a friend, oblivious to the danger, Hull ran at him, delivering two rapid knife blows. Ryan was utterly defenceless. Chillingly, before stabbing Ryan a final time, Hull pulled back his hoody.

Prosecutors at the city's crown court said he was showing his victim who was attacking him. Ryan was stabbed in the back, the abdomen, and the chest, this last blow severing a major artery in his heart. 

Horrified bystanders, police and medics made desperate attempts to save Ryan but at 9.22pm he was pronounced dead.

Eight minutes later, a witness saw the Volvo S40 - which Hull and Porter had fled in - burning near Burgh Marsh.

Kane Hull and Liam Porter were burning the evidence of their crime - including their car - as their victim lay dying in Carlisle city centre. (Image: Cumbria Police)

It was the first act in their desperate – and ultimately futile – attempt to evade justice. Helped by associates, Hull and Porter fled, changing phones, switching cars, using false names, and travelling far away - first into Scotland, then Northern Ireland and finally on to the Republic of Ireland.

Police found them in a rented bungalow at Carracastle, County Mayo, on September 28, where Hull was hiding in the attic. Among their possessions was a shopping list.

It showed they planned to buy “wigs, hair dye and glasses”.

It was yet another indication of how the two killers believed themselves too clever to be caught by their pursuers.

Kane Hull, helped by Liam Porter, carried out what amounted to the "execution" of a defenceless man, stabbing Ryan in the back, abdomen and chest, said the judge. (Image: Newsquest)

On the night of the murder, they failed to appreciate that CCTV images would show they were the killers, partly because they wore many of the same clothes they had on during the failed glassing.

As Hull left Carlyle's Court after the failed glassing attack, a witness overheard him tell Porter: “That ******* got me locked up last time.”

CCTV recorded after the stabbing showed Hull running away, his hoody momentarily  slipping off, revealing his distinctive balding head.

More compelling evidence came from a young woman who saw the fatal stabbing. She recognised Hull, telling jurors: “I recognised him anyways, from what he looked like, from his eyes, from his build.”

The reality of what happened– and not the fantasy spun by Hull and Porter – was spelled out with brutal clarity by Mr Justice Linden.

He said: “I am sure Mr Hull intended to kill Ryan Kirkpatrick. The incident lasted in the region of 30 seconds, and it amounted to an execution. As was Mr Hull’s intention, Mr Kirkpatrick did not have any real chance to defend himself.

“The words “vicious”, “callous” and “cowardly” were used by leading counsel to describe what you did but I don’t think that goes far enough. The word “futile” should be added to reflect the pointlessness of what you did. You achieved nothing other than to cause misery to the Kirkpatrick family, and to ruin your own lives.”

Throughout the trial, Hull and Porter seemed relaxed, often smiling as they greeted people they knew in the public gallery.

As Mr Justice Linden announced their sentences – life with a minimum term of 28 years for Hull and life with a minimum of 26 years for Porter – there was a gasp from the public gallery.

For the first time, somebody in the public gallery openly voiced his opinion of the killers. “Cowards!” yelled the man.

As he heard his sentence, Porter shook his head. Hull was expressionless – but then smirked as he was being led away. At no stage had either he or Porter expressed remorse or sympathy for Ryan and his family.

Their cold indifference contrasted with the dignity and the humanity shown by Ryan’s mother. Of the killers, she said: “I hate the people who killed my son with every ounce of my being…They’re little cowards, not real men.”

No words could ever convey the “pain, terror, and grief” that Ryan’s loss had heaped on her and her family, she said. “I am left standing here before this court in the darkest of places. I no longer live my life; I survive, moment to moment.”

Remembering Ryan, she said: “I always said he was my sunshine; he brought the warmth into my life no matter how cold a day may seem.

“Ryan was a very loving, kind caring person who was always aware of others and would support those he cared about in any way that he could. He brought a lot of cheeky fun and laughter into everyone’s lives...

“We spent the mornings together, chatting and laughing at stories he would tell me or showing me something funny on his phone, then he would have his music blaring and he would be singing away in the shower.

“Every evening we always said: ‘Night - love you’.

"I don’t get any of this anymore, and every morning the pain rushes over me - whilst I wait for him to just walk back into my room again.”

She thanked everybody involved in bringing Hull and Porter to justice: the police, Victim Support, trauma therapists, prosecution counsel Kim Whittlestone and Tim Evans, jurors, and especially the witnesses.