Connor Brown murder: Friends create shrine to attack victim at Sunderland pub where teenager drank

Heartbroken friends of attack victim Connor Brown have created a shrine in honour of him in the Wearside pub where he was a regular.
By David Allison
Published 1st Mar 2019, 05:00 BST
Updated 1st Mar 2019, 07:47 BST
The Dolphin pub pay tribute to Connor Brown.The Dolphin pub pay tribute to Connor Brown.
The Dolphin pub pay tribute to Connor Brown.

Connor, 18, died after an incident behind The Borough pub in Sunderland city centre in the early hours of Sunday.

After being attacked he was rushed to the RVI in Newcastle for treatment but sadly passed away.

The Dolphin pub pay tribute to Connor Brown.The Dolphin pub pay tribute to Connor Brown.
The Dolphin pub pay tribute to Connor Brown.
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Two men have since appeared in court charged with his murder.

Sunderland AFC supporter Connor was a regular at The Dolphin in Farringdon and often drank with friends there.

A balloon release was held at the pub last Sunday.

And now the pub, in Ashdown Road, has agreed to turn a corner of the bar area into somewhere dedicated to Connor’s memory, with various pictures of him and his friends now on display.

The Dolphin pub pay tribute to Connor Brown.The Dolphin pub pay tribute to Connor Brown.
The Dolphin pub pay tribute to Connor Brown.

More than £20,000 has been raised as part of an appeal to support Connor’s heartbroken family, with former Sunderland footballer Jordan Henderson and ex-Geordie Shore star Charlotte Crosby both making individual donations.

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Ryhope and Silksworth Pool Team donated £555 and Sunderland’s Wednesday night Pool League donated £1,000

Manager Lisa Smith, who is the daughter of Dolphin landlord Kelvin Lamb, said: “Connor was a regular in here and what’s happened is tragic.

“His friends came and suggested doing this in a corner of the pub for him.

The Dolphin pub pay tribute to Connor Brown. Landlord Kelvin Lamb and daughter Lisa SmithThe Dolphin pub pay tribute to Connor Brown. Landlord Kelvin Lamb and daughter Lisa Smith
The Dolphin pub pay tribute to Connor Brown. Landlord Kelvin Lamb and daughter Lisa Smith

“They asked my dad and he was happy for them to do it.

“We’ve got a charity collection on the bar for his appeal fund too.

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“I didn’t know a lot about Connor but I served him regularly and he was a lovely lad.

“He got on with everybody and it’s absolutely awful what happened to him.”

The Dolphin pub pay tribute to Connor Brown.The Dolphin pub pay tribute to Connor Brown.
The Dolphin pub pay tribute to Connor Brown.

Devastated friends of Connor have called on Sunderland AFC supporters to join in with applause on the 18th minute of Saturday’s match against Plymouth Argyle, which kicks off at 3pm.

The tribute has the blessing of the club.

A balloon release in Connor’s memory will be held on Friday at 6.30pm, with a charity football match involving his team-mates from Seaburn FC pencilled in for Sunday, March 10 at Silksworth.

The Dolphin will also be hosting a charity night to raise money for Connor’s appeal in a few weeks’ time.