Connor Doran, 17, and Brandon Doran, 14, killed a homeless man, Kevin Bennett, 53, outside an Iceland supermarket on August 17, 2012. At the same time, their brother Ryan Doran, 23, was in court for killing Wayne Mitchell with a bottle outside a fish and chip shop in Anfield.
According to the reports, the younger brothers attacked Bennett after Connor dared their friend Simon Evans, saying, “I bet you haven’t got it in you to do him in.” Prosecutors described it as murder “for a dare,” with no motive beyond violence itself.
Teenagers Carry Out Fatal Attack on Homeless Man
Connor and Brandon Doran, along with 14-year-old friend Simon Evans, beat Kevin Bennett to death in what Judge Clement Goldstone QC called “violence for violence’s sake.” CCTV footage captured the teenagers roaming empty Liverpool streets seeking trouble.
Bennett had consumed up to 12 cans of lager at the Queens Arms pub in Walton and left around midnight. He was sleeping behind the Iceland supermarket when the teenagers found him at 5:30 AM on August 17.
The boys had gone out to buy energy drinks and crisps, but spent hours wandering the streets. When they found Bennett sleeping behind the store, Connor goaded Evans by saying, “Do you fancy doing him in with me? If you kick him first, I will do the rest.” Evans claimed he felt scared but delivered the first kick. Connor climbed onto a storage case and jumped on Bennett’s chest while Brandon acted as lookout.
The attack left Bennett with a fractured eye socket, collapsed lung, and broken ribcage that detached from his chest. Store staff found him the next morning and took him to the hospital. He died six days later from blood poisoning and organ failure, the post-mortem examination found. The teenagers searched his pockets for valuables in what the judge called a “final and gratuitous insult.” Evans later boasted, “I started kicking him, I booted him, and now he’s dead.”
Older Brother Convicted of Separate Killing
The eldest brother, Ryan, was convicted in October 2012 of murdering Wayne Mitchell, a 42-year-old from Anfield. Ryan, then 22, attacked Mitchell in March 2012, causing fatal blunt force trauma to the head. Wayne Mitchell was found unconscious on Claude Road in the early hours of March 24 and died later in hospital.
Ryan received a life sentence. The timing meant that while he faced trial for his murder case, his younger brothers committed their own killing. This created a situation where the family dealt with multiple murder investigations at the same time.
Family Members Sentenced for Pattern of Crime
Linda Doran, 42, was jailed for 31 months for perverting the course of justice after giving false alibis for Connor and Brandon. When confronted, she claimed she had “no concept of time” because she was unemployed and the house clock often failed. Judge Goldstone called her a “pathetic and tragic character” who had failed as a parent. Noting another son was already serving life for murder and that few mothers would show such an inability to take responsibility.
Her son Jordan Doran, 21, received six months for contempt of court after photographing jury members and Connor during the trial. Police recovered the images despite his attempts to delete them. By the end of the proceedings, five of the six Doran family members were in prison.
Court Issues Verdict and Sentences After Jury Decision
A jury at Liverpool Crown Court convicted all three of Bennett’s killers in February 2013 after a four-week trial. The teenagers gave conflicting accounts to dodge responsibility, but jurors delivered a unanimous verdict.
The judge sentenced Connor Doran to a minimum of 12 years, calling him the “leader of the pack.” Brandon Doran received six years for acting as lookout, and Simon Evans got eight years for delivering the first kick. Judge Goldstone lifted their anonymity and said it was in the public interest to name them.
He condemned the case as “a desperately sad reflection on this society that each of you was party to serious violence purely for the sake of it.” He said the boys came from homes “where their interests are put second, third or fourth,” but added that the Doran brothers showed progress after being placed in care while awaiting sentence.
Detectives Examine Assault and Victim’s Final Hours
Detective Inspector Cheryl Rhodes, who led the case, said the teenagers “went out looking for trouble.” Judge Goldstone described Bennett as a “much-loved son and father” who found “his main comfort” in alcohol. Bennett had done nothing to provoke the attack and was simply in the wrong place when the boys chose to unleash senseless violence.
Officials described Simon Evans as a role model during his sentence. By 2017, he was mentoring other inmates. His 2017 bid to cut his minimum tariff failed. But the High Court reduced it in 2018, allowing him to seek parole from February 2020. The current status of all offenders is unknown.
Case Raises Questions About Youth Violence
The case exposed failures in parental supervision and social support, raising debate about how to protect vulnerable groups, particularly the homeless, and the need for early intervention in troubled families. The attack drew comparisons to Stanley Kubrick’s 1971 film A Clockwork Orange, where gangs target homeless men. Prosecutors described it as “violence for violence’s sake” against a defenseless victim, making it an example of social breakdown and the dangers that homeless people face.
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