Ryan Kirkpatrick: Pair 'acted together to plan knife murder'

Two men acted together with a "joint plan" to knife another man to death outside a bar, a court has heard.

Ryan Kirkpatrick, 24, died at the scene of the stabbing in Carlisle, Cumbria, on 18 September 2021.

Kane Hull, 29, and Liam Porter, 33, are alleged to have pulled up in a car with Mr Hull carrying a knife "clearly visible" on CCTV and stabbing his victim multiple times.

Appearing at Carlisle Crown Court, both men deny murder.

The jury was told there had been "bad blood" and "a history" between Mr Hull and Mr Kirkpatrick with a "short fight" taking place at Carlyle's Court bar before Mr Hull and Mr Porter left in a blue Volvo S40 at about 20:00 BST.

The court heard the men returned 15 minutes later wearing dark clothing and had their faces covered as Mr Hull stabbed Mr Kirkpatrick.

Following the attack at the bar, off Fisher Street, the prosecution said the defendants fled in the Volvo.

"Tragically, despite the best efforts of his friends, and then the police and then paramedics, Mr Kirkpatrick was pronounced dead at Carlyle's Court at 9:22pm," said prosecutor Tim Evans.

He alleged the stabbing "was at the hand of Hull" - who was said to have been identified despite his disguise attempt - and that Mr Porter was there "as a party to, supporting the plan to stab Mr Kirkpatrick".

"They were, in other words, in it together," said Mr Evans.

"They came to the bar together with the joint plan that Ryan Kirkpatrick was to be stabbed."

Jurors heard the Volvo was found burnt out near Burgh-by-Sands, north-west of Carlisle, soon after the incident.

Mr Evans told the court the pair "took significant steps to evade the police" including changing their phones several times, checking into new addresses, using different vehicles and then travelling to Northern Ireland by ferry from Stranraer.

They "fled next", he said, to the Republic of Ireland where they were taken into custody on 28 September and then extradited.

Hull, of no fixed address, and Porter, of Fulmar Place, Carlisle, both also deny an alternative allegation of manslaughter.

The trial continues.

Follow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].