Jurors in the trial of two men accused of murdering Ryan Kirkpatrick have seen dramatic CCTV footage of the moment he was fatally stabbed by an attacker.
Kane Hull, 29, and Liam Craig Porter, 33, deny the alleged murder and manslaughter of Mr Kirkpatrick. The 24-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene of an attack which occurred outside a bar and restaurant at Carlyle’s Court just after 8.45pm on Saturday September 18 last year.
However, both Hull and Porter deny presence during a second incident, 15 minutes later, when Mr Kirkpatrick was stabbed.
A detailed CCTV sequence using footage from a host of city cameras was seen by jurors and showed Hull and Porter leaving the Royal Scot pub in the Morton area in a blue Volvo S40 which travelled into the city centre and was parked up closed to Carlyle’s Court. Mr Kirkpatrick was also seen arriving, separately, dressed in a white shirt, beige trousers and tie.
Porter entered Carlyle’s Court followed shortly afterwards by Hull, who can be seen to pick up a pint glass and empty its contents. During a brief confrontation with Mr Kirkpatrick, Hull swung towards him with the glass in his right hand. Others intervened before Hull and Porter leave the area.
A blue car then arrived at Carlyle’s Court soon after. And CCTV seen by the jury showed a hooded suspect wearing dark clothing run towards Mr Kirkpatrick, who backs off and is stabbed in front of bystanders. The attacker then appeared to pull away their face covering.
And as that knife-carrying suspect ran from the courtyard — with a second hooded person also in dark clothing — their hood slipped down. This revealed distinctive hairline which the prosecution allege, was a match for Hull’s.
Prosecutor Tim Evans had earlier concluded his opening statement, presenting other detailed phone and CCTV data. This, he alleged showed Hull and Porter’s bid to evade police in the days after the tragedy with the help of others. One witness had reported seeing burning items being thrown from the window of a car in the Smithfield area of north Cumbria just after midnight.
Hull, of no fixed address, and Porter, of Fulmar Place, Carlisle, were later spotted on CCTV in Hawick and Langholm, and are said to have stayed at a hotel in Alston before boarding a ferry to Northern Ireland.
They were arrested at a rural retreat in County Mayo, in the Republic of Ireland, 10 days after the alleged murder, on September 28. Mr Evans said a number of items seized included a shopping list which included wigs, glasses and hair dye.
The trial continues.
