The funnel-shaped nature of the area meant that the congestion was hard to escape for those at the front, says the BBC. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, Latest trial follows two sets of inquests, private prosecutions and civil proceedings over the disaster, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. The then Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) concludes that there is no new evidence as alleged by the HFSG and their legal representatives, and therefore no grounds for reopening the police investigation into the Hillsborough disaster. But he now admits the crush occurred after he ordered an exit gate to be opened allowing 2,000 Liverpool fans to enter the stadium in just five minutes. ", Clive Coleman, BBC legal affairs correspondent. Benjamin Myers QC, defending Duckenfield, told the jury he had been a "target of blame" for the disaster. The trial against retired Ch Supt Donald Denton, 83, retired Det Ch Insp Alan Foster, 74, and former solicitor Peter Metcalf, 71, collapses. Here is how events have unfolded in the 30 years since the disaster. High Court judge Lord Goldring chairs the new inquests in Warrington, which last more than two years and becomes the longest jury case in British legal history. Up to 41 of the dead might have survived had they been given oxygen. A handwritten note apparently written by Tony Blair, asks why? Mr Mackrell is fined 6,500 for the offence, sparking outrage from victims relatives who called the penalty shameful. Duckenfield was a public servant who failed in his basic duties to the people he was charged with protecting. Ch Supt Duckenfield reacted to the build-up of supporters outside the ground by ordering the gates to be opened before the game between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. Judge Sir Peter Openshaw rejects a defence application to ban reporting on the Hillsborough trial until the jury delivers its verdict. The jury at Mr Duckenfield's original trial earlier this year failed to agree a verdict. By November 1991, he was medically retired from South Yorkshire Police on a full pension, two years after being suspended from duty. That sets the bar very high for the prosecution. [1] This resulted in overcrowding of those pens and the crush. David Duckenfield was in charge when a crush developed in terraced pens on 15 April 1989 . He had no experience managing soccer matches, let alone an FA Cup semi-final. 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, Duckenfield said. David Duckenfield is not a criminal, a jury has decided. The new Labour government orders a review of the evidence by Lord Justice Stuart-Smith. Paul Robinson, whose brother Steven was killed in the stadium crush, said: "As a family we would like to thank all those who have supported us over the years in our quest for justice and accountability. The acquittal was not a shock. The jury fails to reach a verdict on Duckenfield. Several people whose family members died at Hillsborough in 1989 walked out of the new inquests into the disaster as the former policeman who commanded the FA Cup semi-final tried to explain why he had not told the truth for 26 years, and apologised again to them. As fans were dying he suggested they were responsible for the crush that was a consequence of his decision. On 28 November, the remaining jurors acquit Mr Duckenfield of gross negligence manslaughter, as the investigating police officer says the delay between the disaster and the trial should not have been allowed to happen. David Duckenfield was police match commander at the Hillsborough disaster He went on trial for gross negligence manslaughter over the deaths of fans Following a retrial, he was cleared today . The Independent Police Complaints Commission launches an investigation into an alleged cover-up by officers in the aftermath of the disaster. Sir Peter Openshaw, the judge, told the jury that the inquests findings which were not discussed in court were quite irrelevant. Ben Myers QC made the claim in his. As the families continue to campaign, ITV screens a drama about the disaster written by Jimmy McGovern. The jury found match commander - former Ch Supt David Duckenfield - "responsible for manslaughter by gross negligence" due to a breach of his duty of care. 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. It was even more dispiriting to hear the defence barrister, Benjamin Myers QC, recycle all the rancid myths that grew out of Duckenfields dissembling: that fans turned up late, alcohol was a factor and supporters ignored police instructions. He agreed with Michael Mansfield QC, representing 75 families whose relatives were killed in the lethal crush, that he was practising and persisted in a far-reaching deceit on the day, by lying to Football Association and football club officials about his actions. acquit Mr Duckenfield of gross negligence manslaughter, Extra 20% off selected fashion and sportswear at Very, Up to 20% off and extra perks with Booking.com Genius membership, Extra 25% off kitchen appliances using this AO discount code, 35 off 1st orders with this Soak & Sleep voucher code & orders 100+, Compare broadband packages side by side to find the best deal for you, Compare cheap broadband deals from providers with fastest speed in your area, All you need to know about fibre broadband, Best Apple iPhone Deals in the UK February 2023, Compare iPhone contract deals and get the best offer this February, Compare the best mobile phone deals from the top networks and brands. Evelyn Newman Duckenfield, center, died at age 81 of covid-19 on Jan 25. The full report reinforces criticism of the police while its recommendations lead to the introduction of all-seater stadiums and the removal of perimeter fencing around grounds. He admitted everything at the 2015 inquests into the disaster, saying that his professional failings led to the deaths of 96 innocent men, women and children. What's he waiting for? Sue Hemming, the CPS director of legal services, reacts to the decision by issuing a scathing statement. A Hillsborough charity music single, a version of He Aint Heavy Hes My Brother, is confirmed as Christmas Number One days later. He didn't breach his duty, he did what he was expected to do in difficult circumstances.". This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Match commander Ch Supt David Duckenfield had ordered for an exit gate at the stadium to be opened, by the Leppings Lane turnstiles. After Duckenfield mentioned the contribution in the police control room of Bernard Murray, who was a superintendent but has since died, Menon asked him if he was seeking to blame other people. "He understands the public interest in this case, but would ask that his privacy and that of his family is respected, and will not be commenting further. Even while the dead and dying were lying on the pitch, barely attended to by the emergency services, Duckenfield was throwing the blame and trying to avoid the responsibility for a decision that caused the carnage. The jury did, however, reach a majority verdict to convict Graham Mackrell, Sheffield Wednesdays then-secretary and safety officer, of failing to take reasonable care of Liverpool supporters safety, by allocating only seven turnstiles for the 10,100 people. Duckenfield said he had watched a video about the disaster, including footage of a mother having to cuddle her dead child on the dirty floor of the Hillsborough gymnasium, which the police used as a mortuary that day. "We say that is unfair, there are so many other people at fault, and so many causes," the barrister added. Posted on 26 Feb in avondale redbud problems. The match commander on the day, David Duckenfield, was cleared of gross. Sheffield Wednesday's former club secretary Graham Mackrell was found guilty of a health and safety offence in May 2019. He had originally been accused of the manslaughter by gross negligence of 95 Liverpool fans, but denied all the charges. All this had been comprehensively dismissed at the inquests. Yet one thing that is crucial to remember is that today's verdict does not undo, undermine or cancel out the verdicts of those historic inquests. A jury found the former South. 0 . The High Court rejects an application for judicial review of the inquest verdicts brought by six representative families. 30 years means evidence has been corroded and some people and organisations cannot answer for their actions because they are no longer with us. The report says a pitch invasion was unlikely at the beginning of a match and there was no effective leadership to organise rescue efforts or relieve pressure from behind the pens where the crush happened. PC Maxwell Groome was on duty for the match at Sheffield Wednesdays stadium. david duckenfield cycling. The citys council cancelled a planned outdoor commemoration event and instead will light 96 lanterns on the steps of St Georges Hall. The prosecution in the case alleged Duckenfield, 75, had a 'personal responsibility' for what happened at the match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, when 96 people were fatally injured . 2023 BBC. The Crown Prosecution Service decides that following consideration of all the evidence and documentation, there is no evidence to justify any criminal proceedings against South Yorkshire Police officers, Sheffield Wednesday FC, Sheffield City Council or Eastwoods the structural engineering firm that designed the pens. The court heard the chief superintendent ordered the opening of exit gates at the Leppings Lane end of the ground at 2.52pm, eight minutes before kick-off, after the area outside the turnstiles became dangerously overcrowded. In July 2000, Murray is acquitted after a six-week trial. The families watching in a conference room in Liverpool were aghast. And a jury of seven women and three men agreed with him when they cleared the 75-year-old of gross negligence manslaughter. Jurors hear how a PCs account of the disaster was changed to remove criticisms of police, but notes about drunk fans were kept in. "I would like to know who is responsible for my father's death because someone is.". It leads to a new criminal inquiry into the disaster and an investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission. It was closed after 26 seconds and around 150 supporters are believed to have entered. And 30 years means many people, especially families, have had to constantly relive their terrible experience. Margaret Aspinall reacts to Mr Duckenfield's trial verdict, Margaret Aspinall, whose 18-year-old son James was among those who died, said: "The question I'd like to ask all of you and people within the system is who put 96 people in their graves, who is accountable?". Ms Aspinall, chairwoman of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, thanked those who had supported the families over the past 31 years. The Hillsborough match commander apologised to the families. Former Hillsborough match commander David Duckenfield, arriving at Preston Crown court for the start of his retrial for the manslaughter by gross negligence of 95 Liverpool supporters at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final. Answering questions from Mansfield, Duckenfield said, however, that he did believe Liverpool fans turned up late and drunk to the match, and that Merseyside police failed to tell the South Yorkshire force that Liverpool fans were in the habit of doing that. Christine, whose father Henry Burke was killed in the disaster, addressed the judge after the verdict was read out. The Crown Prosecution Service has said it will seek a retrial, which Duckenfield is expected to oppose, at a hearing scheduled for 24 June. Asked by Mansfield why he had chosen to remain silent for 26 years, Duckenfield said that he had been prompted to finally tell the whole truth after the publication of the report by the Hillsborough Independent Panel in 2012 and a television programme he had seen about the disasters effect on the families. 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 . Covid cut it short. And it is not his fault those who deserved to face the same scrutiny he did will never be held accountable for the deaths of the 96. An investigation was launched after more than 1,500 police pocket notebooks relevant to the Hillsborough disaster were uncovered weeks before the trial of David Duckenfield was due to start, it. ", To the families he added: "It has now dawned on me what it means to you, and I am dreadfully sorry. It took some tortuous legal logic to create a courtroom environment where this could be allowed to happen. lifts the historic stay of further prosecution on Mr Duckenfield, fails to reach a verdict on the charges against Mr Duckenfield. But was the regret he described at the disaster inquests the regret of having been dishonest, or the regret of having been found out? Liverpool FC said it shared "the reactions and frustrations by the families today and those affected by the Hillsborough tragedy". But his acquittal does not undo his shameful lie. "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. Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. At a press conference Margaret Aspinall, the chair of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, said: I am ashamed of the system in this country that is not holding anyone responsible for the deaths of 96 people.. Crucially, the panel finds that 41 victims did not have signs of the crush injuries originally claimed by pathologists, and so may have been saved. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Former superintendent Roger Marshall agreed match. Sheffield Wednesday FC is also criticised for an inadequate number of turnstiles at the Leppings Lane entrance and the poor quality of crush barriers on the terraces, some of which collapsed during the disaster. Addressing the families in the court he said: It has now dawned on me what it means to you, and I am dreadfully sorry.. Recipe: Ayurvedic Jewish penicillin by Dr Rupy Aujla, Sunaks Brexit deal explained in five points, Messi vs. Ronaldo: all-time goals and statistics. 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. What happened in Sheffield was beyond horrific. But despite it finding that police evidence to the Taylor inquiry had been doctored, home secretary Jack Straw rules out a new inquiry. Visit our corporate site www.futureplc.com Future Publishing Limited, Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. The 96 Liverpool supporters unlawfully killed at Hillsborough. That cowardly deceit set the tone for everything that followed. He also rejects a prosecution application to prevent tweeting from court, sharing articles on social media or embedding video into news articles. The acquittal of Hillsborough match commander David Duckenfield has caused shock and anger after a 30-year campaign for criminal accountability for the disaster. ACC Jackson was alongside Duckenfield within minutes of the match being stopped. Former Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzie apologises for the papers 1989 front page. They applied to have the case against them dismissed after a month of evidence in a trial that had been awaited for decades by the victims families. News. "We firmly believe that we have done everything in our power to do right by our Steven and we walk away from this case with our dignity and our heads held high.". Gate C, leading to the Leppings Lane terraces, is opened. 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. Former Sheffield Wednesday club secretary Graham Mackrell, 69, stood trial alongside Duckenfield in January and was found guilty of a health and safety offence for failing to ensure there were enough turnstiles to prevent unduly large crowds building up outside the ground. Duckenfields acquittal underlines that no one has been held responsible for Hillsborough. Duckenfield, a retired chief superintendent, 75, denied the gross negligence manslaughter of 95 Liverpool supporters at the FA Cup semi-final on April 15 1989. Supt Murray assures him they will, 2.47pm: Supt Marshall requests, for the first time, for stadium gates to be opened at the Leppings Lane end. Duckenfields ordeal ended at Preston crown court on Thursday. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. He said this as Dolores Steele, Barry Devonside and Trevor Hicks - all of whom lost children, all of whom gave evidence in these trials - were desperately hoping their teenagers would survive. The report also accuses police chief David Duckenfield, who was responsible for the match, of blunders of the first magnitude. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. VideoAt the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Sake brewers toast big rise in global sales, The Indian-American CEO who wants to be US president, Blackpink lead top stars back on the road in Asia, Exploring the rigging claims in Nigeria's elections, 'Wales is in England' gaffe sparks TikToker's trip, Ukraine war casts shadow over India's G20 ambitions, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. The turnstiles became difficult to operate and people were starting to be crushed. A police chief told a "wicked lie" by suggesting Liverpool fans forced open a gate ahead of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, the inquests heard. The inquest jury finds that Hillsboroughs 96 victims were unlawfully killed and that Liverpool fans were not responsible for the disaster. He was asked whether he thought over the last 26 years about the bereaved families, who according to their barrister, Rajiv Menon QC waged a courageous and unrelenting campaign that culminated in 2012 with the quashing of the first inquests. Relatives and friends of the victims were gathered at the Cunard Building on Liverpool's waterfront when the verdict was announced. That a publicly funded authority can lawfully withhold information from a public inquiry charged with finding out why 96 people died at a football match, in order to ensure that it never happened again or that a solicitor can advise such a withholding, without sanction of any sort, may be a matter which should be subject to scrutiny.. Application for a retrial is refused. The matchday commander at Hillsborough was found not guilty of gross negligence manslaughter charges pertaining to his role in the football disaster 30 years ago. Hillsborough match commander David Duckenfield has been found not guilty of gross negligence manslaughter of 95 Liverpool supporters. avid Duckenfield can finally rest easily. 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. Mistake. 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