Because any time you or your loved ones attend a public event it should be with the knowledge that the people responsible for maintaining order and safety will be competent. There were gasps in court as the seven women and three men on the jury returned the verdict, following 13 hours and 43 minutes of discussions. The matchday commander at Hillsborough was found not guilty of gross negligence manslaughter charges pertaining to his role in the football disaster 30. Shortly before kick-off, in an attempt to ease overcrowding outside the entrance turnstiles, the police match commander, David Duckenfield, ordered exit gate C to be opened, leading to an influx of supporters entering the pens. Allen told the inquests last week that he had policed hundreds of football matches and attended thousands as a Liverpool fan. The scrutiny goes ahead but in February 1998, Lord Justice Stuart-Smith rejects grounds for quashing the accidental death verdicts or bringing prosecutions. He was initially accused of telling lies about the culpability of fans and his role in the event, reports the BBC. The jury was shown pictures of fans in the Leppings Lane end of the stadium as the disaster unfolded, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. Labour MP Andy Burnhams address to the 20th anniversary memorial service is interrupted by chants of Justice for the 96. The CPS announces that all charges against Sir Norman Bettison are being dropped because there is insufficient evidence for a realistic chance of a conviction, which is the test for all prosecutions. In February 2000, both officers appeal to the Divisional Court but fail and the trial is held in Leeds between 6 June and 24 July 2000. D avid Duckenfield can finally rest easily. Solicitor Peter Metcalf, former chief superintendent Donald Denton and former detective chief inspector Alan Foster are all charged with perverting the course of justice. Meanwhile, the families of six victims appeal for a judicial review application to quash the inquest verdict. But then two years ago I had to force myself to look at matters and, as a result, I could only do so with the assistance of doctors. And a jury of seven women and three men agreed with him when they cleared the 75-year-old of gross negligence manslaughter. Read about our approach to external linking. The decision is taken to withdraw feeding and hydration from 96th victim Tony Bland, who has remained in a persistent vegetative state since receiving his injuries at Hillsborough. South Yorkshire Police match commander, David Duckenfield, is found not guilty of gross negligence manslaughter for the deaths of 95 Liverpool fans, in a retrial, by a majority of 9-1. But in November 1991, a House of Lords ruling states that the chief constable of South Yorkshire has admitted liability in negligence in respect of the deaths and physical injuries. The death of two witnesses and contradictions in the evidence of others is cited as part of the reason for the decision. inquest verdicts brought by six representative families. Only one ambulance made it onto the pitch; 42 remained in a queue outside. ", Clive Coleman, BBC legal affairs correspondent. "Over this period, I have had to come to terms with reality, and that is why, over the period, you might say I dug my head in the sand, didn't admit things to myself, but I am now very much older, very much wiser, and very much more understanding of the events of the day and have decided to tell the whole truth. More than 2,000 fans then entered through exit gate C, with many heading for the tunnel ahead of them, which led to the central pens of the terrace where the crush happened. Benjamin Myers QC told the jury his client had become "the focus of blame". About 45 family members watched the verdict from the Cunard building in Liverpool, where the trial was screened. The new Labour governments home secretary, Jack Straw, notes the discussions but said public concern will not be allayed by a reassurance from the Home Office that there is no new evidence and proposes an independent review. Duckenfield then lied and told FA executives that fans had broken in to the stadium. Former superintendent Roger Marshall agreed match. It was not opened on orders from the police control box but by police in the area to eject a fan. A judge lifts the historic stay of further prosecution on Mr Duckenfield, allowing new proceedings to go ahead. The most exhaustive and longest inquest in British history was dismissed as not being pertinent. "It is right that an impartial and thorough investigation was carried out, and it is right that a jury was asked to make a judgement of the facts. Unlike Duckenfield, the families, survivors and those affected by Hillsborough cannot sleep easy. Get email updates with the day's biggest stories. "I hid myself away and could not bear the word Hillsborough", he said. " Around 2,000 fans enter, many heading down a central tunnel and into already busy terrace pens, leading to the tragic crush. Duckenfield had agreed earlier that he had not acted as a reasonably competent match commander on the day, due to the mistakes he made. But he remains a liar whose claims caused hurt, anger and despair. He vomited inside the bag before he died. Duckenfield responded: Sir, I was not outside the turnstiles, but I am not in a position to dispute his view.. "I would like to know who is responsible for my father's death because someone is.". A Liverpool fan, he was present at the Hillsborough disaster, The not-guilty verdict over the Hillsborough tragedy has grave implications for society, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. It took some tortuous legal logic to create a courtroom environment where this could be allowed to happen. The Independent Police Complaints Commission launches an investigation into an alleged cover-up by officers in the aftermath of the disaster. The Crown Prosecution Service says changes in the evidence of two witnesses and the death of a third meant that there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction. Flags will be flown at half-mast across the city, and the bells of the Town Hall will toll 96 times. "We have immense admiration for the Hillsborough families, survivors and campaigners for what they have achieved and our thoughts remain with them and those 96 Liverpool supporters who went to watch their team and never came home.". Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. He also rejects a prosecution application to prevent tweeting from court, sharing articles on social media or embedding video into news articles. His lawyers argued those errors were accepted only in hindsight, and through the fight put up to try and stop him being prosecuted it was clear that, by the time he uttered not guilty at his manslaughter plea hearing in September 2018, he did not think those failings were so bad they were criminal. There has been barely any for those who were mindbogglingly inept at Hillsborough. Visit our corporate site www.futureplc.com Future Publishing Limited, Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. The new scrutiny is conducted by Lord Justice Stuart-Smith. A second juror is discharged on 19 November after suffering a bereavement, leaving a jury of seven women and three men to decide the case. Recipe: Ayurvedic Jewish penicillin by Dr Rupy Aujla, Sunaks Brexit deal explained in five points, Messi vs. Ronaldo: all-time goals and statistics. Christine Burke tearfully spoke from the gallery after the verdict was delivered and said that the 96 were unlawfully killed and she wants to know who is responsible, reports the Liverpool Echo. Jimmy Hennessey, a 29-year-old, had negligible medical attention and was placed in a body bag while still alive. During days of intense questioning at the inquests in March 2015, he admitted that he had lied about mistakes he made on the day and had kept that lie going for 26 years and through several legal inquiries. One of the many tragedies of the Hillsborough disaster is the first explanation for what claimed the lives of those men, women and children was a suggestion it was Liverpool supporters who were responsible. Wed 1 Mar 2023 12.40 . ", Hillsborough inquests: What you need to know, 14 questions the Hillsborough jury answered, Human error to blame for train crash - Greek PM, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. Civil actions seeking damages starts within days of the disaster, both from relatives of the victims and survivors who have suffered physical injuries and psychological effects. I seek guidance from people with greater experience and expertise than me. By the following year, more than 700 claims have been lodged and South Yorkshire Police and Sheffield Wednesday FC start making out-of-court settlements without admission of liability. David Duckenfield was in charge when a crush developed in terraced pens on 15 April 1989 . On 1 November, a juror is discharged after telling fellow jurors dickhead Duckenfield needs to die, but the judge rules that the trial can proceed. The collapse of the latest Hillsborough trial comes after 30 years of legal battles over responsibility for the disaster, which claimed 96 lives on 15 April 1989. What has been heard here in this court will have been surprising to many, she said. It also prompts calls for criminal action. Mr Duckenfield's defence counsel argued the case against him was "deeply unfair". Something went wrong, please try again later. Sergeant Michael Goddard, who was in the police control box, told the trial the request was not unusual, 2.30pm: Duckenfield raises the size of the crowd outside the Leppings Lane turnstiles and asks ground commander, Supt Bernard Murray, whether those fans will be in the ground for the 3pm kick-off. He said: "He has a resilient, passive and expressionless external presentation which gives no indication of his state of mind so don't draw an adverse inference against him.". Match commander Ch Supt David Duckenfield had ordered for an exit gate at the stadium to be opened, by the Leppings Lane turnstiles. At the hearings he accepted he should have taken steps to close the tunnel to the central pens after ordering the opening of the exit gate. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. The report also accuses police chief David Duckenfield, who was responsible for the match, of blunders of the first magnitude. Her adult life has been dominated by the quest to find the truth about her father and gain justice for him. The prosecution in the case alleged Duckenfield, 75, had a 'personal responsibility' for what happened at the match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest on April 15 1989, where 96 men, women. News. And despite the words of regret expressed in 2015, this included the resurrection of shameless claims about ticketless and late supporters. The following March, a Home Office meeting consideres material submitted by the Hillsborough Family Support Group (HFSG) calling for a new inquiry but advice to the attorney general says the 3.15pm cut-off had been fully justifiable. Gate C, leading to the Leppings Lane terraces, is opened. Prosecutors allege Duckenfield should have taken action to close the tunnel that led to those pens, a tactic his lawyer said he and other experienced officers were unaware of, but which the court heard had been used at Hillsborough before. There will be a service at the Anglican cathedral, and a minutes silence will be observed at 3.06pm the moment the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest was stopped as the scale of the disaster became apparent. Bereaved families are angered that the inquests cannot consider the emergency response after that point, and an accidental death verdict is returned on 26 March 1991. The CPS announces that a police officer and a farrier will not be prosecuted over allegations that they fabricated a story about a police horse being burnt with cigarettes at Hillsborough. The High Court quashes the original inquest verdicts of accidental death and orders new inquests. The turnstiles became difficult to operate and people were starting to be crushed. announcement by Labour minister Andy Burnham, Hillsborough Independent Panel publishes a report, Theresa May orders a new criminal investigation, The inquest jury concludes that the 96 victims were unlawfully killed. The entrance had a limited number of turnstiles, of which just seven were allocated to the 10,100 fans with tickets for the standing terraces. I apologise unreservedly to the families and I hope they believe it is a very, very sincere apology. It was David Duckenfield, Preston Crown Court heard, who told FA chiefs fans had gained entry through a "forced" stadium gate before the crush on the terraces beyond. After the longest inquest in British history, lasting 90 days, a verdict of accidental death is returned by a majority verdict of 9-2. Jurors hear how a PCs account of the disaster was changed to remove criticisms of police, but notes about drunk fans were kept in. 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Turnips vs. tomatoes: should salad crisis force UK shoppers back to their roots? So ashamed, embarrassed, distressed that at a later boardroom meeting of officials he failed to correct his lie - with one inquest witness claiming he actually repeated it. The crown's case was that the Chief Superintendent's failings were so extraordinary that they met that test. David Duckenfield, who was the chief superintendent in charge of the game between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, told FA officials at 3.15pm that "a gate had been forced and there had been an. Tweeting from court, sharing articles on social media or embedding video into articles... Independent police Complaints Commission launches an investigation into an alleged cover-up by officers in the aftermath of first... Hurt, anger and despair, where the trial was screened this could be to! And the bells of the reason for the 96 than me, BBC legal affairs.. 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