THE SENTENCES handed to three people who helped the killers of Carlisle man Ryan Kirkpatrick are being scrutinised by senior lawyers to determine whether they were “unduly lenient.”

People across Carlisle were horrified by the “execution style” killing of 24-year-old Mr Kirkpatrick in September last year.

Knifeman Kane Hull, 29, and his 33-year-old accomplice Liam Porter are now serving life sentences for the brutal murder, carried out in front of the victim’s friends in Carlyle’s Court in the city centre.

They denied murder but were convicted on "overwhelming" evidence.

Within an hour of the killing, which prosecutors say was motivated by Hull’s desire for revenge after he was jailed for an earlier attack on Mr Kirkpatrick, the two killers were destroying evidence and plotting their escape.

They fled the country, travelling under false names to Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland, thanks largely to the help they were given by their associates Michael Celmins and Ross Neville, both 32, and 23-year-old Olivia Memmory.

The trio admitted "assisting an offender", and were sentenced at the beginning of this month.

Memmory was jailed for 19 months and Celmins for a year. Neville got the lightest sentence, a 12-month community order with 200 hours unpaid work, a 6-month curfew and a fine of £12,000.

Officials have now confirmed that all three sentences have been referred to the Attorney General’s Office as being potentially “unduly lenient.”

A spokesman told The Cumberland News: “We have received a request for the sentences of Ross Neville, Michael Celmins and Olivia Memmory to be considered under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme.

“The Law Officers have 28 days from sentencing to consider the case and make a decision.”

Senior government lawyers will now review the sentences and make a recommendation before a final decision is made by the Solicitor General Michael Tomlinson.

If the ruling is that there is a sound basis for the referral in any of the three sentences, the case will be put before the Court of Appeal for a final decision following representations from lawyers for both sides.

As the sentencing hearing concluded for the three defendants at Carlisle Crown Court, and Ross Neville walked free, a woman in the public gallery shouted out in protest.

Clearly distraught, she yelled: “There’s no justice. It’s disgraceful.”

Then, turning towards the defendants in the dock, she added: “You’ve taunted me and my family since you’ve done this.”

The outburst came after a three-hour hearing which heard the details of how Memmory, Celmins, and Neville played a key role in supporting the two killers, who have at no point expressed remorse or sympathy for their victim.

Earlier in the hearing, the court heard about how each of the three defendants helped Hull and Porter in the days after the killing.

Memmory, who was said to have bought replacement clothes for the two men in Carlisle city centre, admitted booking "holiday" accommodation for the killers in Alston, Belfast and then the Republic of Ireland.

She said she thought the trips were a holiday, not a flight from justice. In a “secret relationship” with Hull, she claimed she believed his “protestations of innocence” after confronting him about the fatal stabbing.

Defence barrister Rosalind Emsley-Smith questioned the prosecution’s claim that Memmory was “not pressured” by Hull. There was indeed "a significant imbalance of power" between Hull and Memmory, said the barrister.

Celmins helped Hull and Porter by providing them with a stolen Skoda car after they had burned the Volvo they were in when they sped away from Carlisle city centre after the stabbing. He picked it up in Manchester before delivering it to Hull and Porter while they hid at a hotel in Alston.

He was paid £150 for his help.

Celmins, from Irthington, claimed it was only after he had begun the journey to deliver that stolen Skoda that he realised the two fugitives were suspects for the fatal stabbing investigation.

The court then heard about the involvement of Ross Neville, whose criminal record comprised 42 previous offences, including convictions for violent disorder and dishonesty.

His role in helping Hull and Porter involved him transporting them on the night, and providing them with accommodation - albeit it is accepted he did not initially know they were wanted for murder.

He did, however, continue helping them after finding out that Hull and Porter were suspected of a fatal stabbing, says Mr Justice Linden.

The court heard that he had been summoned by Hull to a rendezvous near Carlisle Airport shortly after the murder, when an eye witness saw burning items being thrown out of his car.

The next day, Neville drove Hull to Newcastle, where the murderer attempted to see his solicitor. Within hours of this, Neville was helping Hull and Porter to search for holiday accommodation.

He was also involved in taking Hull and Porter to Kingstown Industrial Estate a few days after the murder so the two fugitives could pick up another new car in their effort to remain below the police radar.

Neville’s defence barrister Jason Pitter KC said the defendant had made huge efforts to turn his life around. For 11 years, said the barrister, Neville  worked at building up his commercial vehicle business, which now had a turnover of £300,000 annually and employed a number of people.

The barrister added: “There is a low risk of him [Neville] reoffending. The risk was very much tied to his association with Mr Hull. But for Mr Hull, he would not be in this position. His role was limited."

It is not known when a decision on whether the three cases will be put before the Court of Appeal will be made.