Connor Doran, 17, (left) his brother Brandon, 14, (centre) and their friend Simon Evans, 14, (right) were today locked up for kicking homeless man Kevin Bennett, 53, to death in Walton, Liverpool. Connor - labelled the 'leader of the pack' - goaded Evans by saying: 'I bet you haven’t got it in you to do him in.' Evans started kicking the innocent victim before Connor started jumping on his chest while the second Doran brother stood look out, Liverpool Crown Court heard.
The Doran brothers’ mother Linda, 42, was also locked up for 30 months today for perverting the course of justice by providing false alibis for her sons.
Her eldest son, Ryan, 23, is also a convicted murderer and was jailed for life last October after he attacked a complete stranger with a bottle in a takeaway.
Addressing the three teenagers, the judge said: 'Each of you, by your mindless violence and participation in it, have forfeited the right to enjoy in freedom the rest of your teenage years and, in your case Connor Doran, your youth.
'None of you come from an ideal family background. Yours, Connor and Brandon, reveals a total lack of parental guidance, support and upbringing for which Linda Doran bears a very heavy responsibility.'
Connor Doran was sentenced to a minimum 12 years, Evans was ordered to serve at least eight years and Brandon Doran received six years for acting as look-out.
However, they were told they will be locked up until the Home Secretary approves their release.
The three boys, who all denied murder, were found guilty on February 26 following a four-week trial.
Turning to Linda Doran, the Recorder said: 'You are a pathetic and tragic character. You have just seen your two youngest sons sent to detention for a murder.
'Your code of honour was to protect your boys in their hour of need at any price, particularly if the price was honesty and decency.
'Your lying account prolonged the investigation by an already stretched police force and made it more difficult.'
Unemployed Doran, with her grey hair tied back in a bun, showed no emotion as the judge added: 'I cannot fail but observe the benefit to which your children have benefited from the stability and care which their lives in care and on remand have brought to them.'
Mr Bennett, described as 'vulnerable' and a 'heavy drinker' by the prosecution, suffered a fractured eye socket, a collapsed lung and a broken ribcage which detached from his chest.
He died in hospital from blood poisoning six days after the attack on August 17 last year when an infection set in, causing his organs to fail, a post-mortem examination found.
Alan Conrad QC, prosecuting, told the jury during the trial: 'Mr Bennett had done nothing to deserve such violence.
'Those who attacked him were much younger and more agile than he was - very young indeed.'
Mr Bennett had been in the pub from 11am on August 16, and had consumed between 10 and 12 cans of lager.
He left just after midnight with a white carrier bag laden with more cans of beer and settled down for the night behind an Iceland store in Walton, Liverpool.
It was there he was discovered beaten by Iceland staff arriving for work at 7am the next day.
The Recorder described Mr Bennett as a 'much loved son and father' who found 'his main comfort' in alcohol.
He told Connor Doran, who showed no emotion as he sat in the dock between his mother and a security guard: 'I am quite satisfied that from the route you took, and the lies you told about it, that you had it in mind to beat him up.
'You were the pack leader. Kevin Bennett was your target and a target whom you knew to be vulnerable.
'Your motive was violence for violence’s sake, nothing more and nothing less.'
The Recorder said he was also satisfied that Connor who, like his brother, has educational difficulties, had intended to kill Mr Bennett.
Turning to Evans, dressed in a white shirt and striped tie, the judge said: 'This may not have been your idea. But you took part in the initial attack on Kevin Bennett when you realised that it was Connor Doran’s intention to cause him really serious injury.
'You, perhaps alone among the defendants, had the wit and intelligence to dissociate yourself from the Doran brothers and the violent attack had you wanted to.'
Brandon, the youngest Doran brother, took no part in the actual attack, the judge said.
'But you made absolutely no attempt to talk or pull your brother away from the violence,' he added.
Evans blinked away tears as he was told he will be aged 22 before he can be considered for parole.
Connor and Brandon Doran, both wearing blue sweatshirts, showed no emotion as they were told they will be almost 30 and 21 respectively before they can be considered for release.
Two months after Mr Bennett was killed, the Doran brother's older sibling Ryan was himself convicted of murdering a father-of-one.
Wayne Basnett, 42, was standing in a chip shop when he was struck with a bottle by Doran in the early hours of March 24 last year.
Mr Mitchell died in hospital the following day of massive head and brain injuries.
When interviewed by police, Doran claimed he had 'drunk himself stupid' and could not remember carrying out the assault. He was later jailed for 15 years.
During her own trial, Linda’s second son, Jordan, 21, was held in contempt of court by Recorder Goldstone after being caught using a mobile phone to take photographs in the courtroom.
He was jailed for six months February 8.
Speaking outside court, Mr Bennett's cousin Angela Connerty, 49, said: 'Justice has been done and that's all we wanted as a family.
'We've had justice for his mother, she can now sit down and grieve knowing they have been put away. She's not here today because she couldn't face it.
'Why did they pick on him? We keep asking, and we'll never, ever know why they did that to him.'
Describing a visit to her cousin in hospital following the attack, she said: 'He had quite a lot of injuries and he was black and blue.
'You wouldn't recognise him. You wouldn't think that kids could do that much damage but they did.
'They are paying for it now.'
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