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. It also must be proved that it could be foreseen the breach would give rise to an obvious risk of death, that it caused the death and - most challenging of all - that the circumstances of the breach were so reprehensible as to justify the conclusion that it amounted to gross negligence and required criminal sanction. The inquest jury finds that Hillsboroughs 96 victims were unlawfully killed and that Liverpool fans were not responsible for the disaster. The jury found match commander - former Ch Supt David. Supporters were not responsible for what happened. It was closed after 26 seconds and around 150 supporters are believed to have entered. He also admitted to a "terrible lie". The jury had a difficult and challenging task examining evidence going back decades and I respect their decision. Duckenfields ordeal ended at Preston crown court on Thursday. It also prompts calls for criminal action. asked if this was a "ploy" and a step to "sever the link between the opening of the gate and what . Many of the bereaved family members, including mothers whose children were killed in the disaster, were crying as Duckenfield spoke. The ruling states that all the victims were dead by 3.15pm. The trial of Mr Duckenfield and Mr Mackrell starts at Preston Crown Court. Mr Duckenfield did not dispute that he ordered the opening of a gate at Hillsborough to let fans in, or that he failed to close the tunnel to the terraces which were already full. For a person to be found guilty of gross negligence manslaughter the prosecution has to prove that he - or she - owed a duty of care to the victim and negligently breached it. And despite the words of regret expressed in 2015, this included the resurrection of shameless claims about ticketless and late supporters. 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. Following the broadcast of a television dramatisation of the Hillsborough disaster, the Home Offices Operational Policing Policy Unit writes to Michael Howard, then home secretary, saying it raises the suggestion that some of the victims were still alive at 3.30pm. Minutes later Duckenfield ordered for that gate to be opened again. 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?". "Thirty years means myths took root about fans being a cause of the disaster, now unequivocally shown by both defence and prosecution evidence to be wrong. 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. He told the court: "We say David Duckenfield did do what he was expected to do as match commander. Sir Peter Openshaw, the judge, told the jury that the inquests findings which were not discussed in court were quite irrelevant. Mr Duckenfield's wife, Ann, went over to comfort her husband in the courtroom after the verdict was read out. But his acquittal does not undo his shameful lie. The inquests become controversial after Dr Stefan Popper limits their scope to events up to 3.15pm on the day of the disaster just nine minutes after the match was halted and excludes the witness evidence of two doctors inside the stadium. And a jury of seven women and three men agreed with him when they cleared the 75-year-old of gross negligence manslaughter. 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. because Duckenfield was acquitted in 2019 of a charge of gross negligence manslaughter, . [1] This resulted in overcrowding of those pens and the crush. "Everybody knew the truth, the fans and police knew the truth that we'd opened the gates," he said. Duckenfield did not give evidence in the trial as the court heard he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. 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. 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. There were shouts in the room as the verdict was announced. "But, as both counsel have advised you and I will now direct you, as you go about your duty you must put aside your emotions and sympathies, either for the bereaved families or indeed for Mr Duckenfield, and decide the case with a cold, calm and dispassionate review of the evidence that you have heard in court.". 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 farriers prosecution for perverting the course of justice is found not to be in the public interest and there is insufficient evidence against the police officer. Hennesseys daughter Charlotte, who was six at the time of the disaster, has had the course of her existence changed. The Taylor Report causes UK-wide changes to football stadiums, seeing fencing removed and standing terraces converted to seating areas at large venues. He described the policing outside the Leppings Lane turnstiles, where Duckenfield accepted the South Yorkshire police lost control at 2:40pm, as non-existent or shambolic at best. 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. Following judicial advice, the PCA decides against proceeding against Mr Murray alone. Read about our approach to external linking. Ninety-six men, women and children died following the crush on the terrace but, under the law at the time, there can be no prosecution for the death of the 96th victim Tony Bland as he died more than a year and a day after the disaster. The High Court rejects an application for judicial review of the inquest verdicts brought by six representative families. After the longest inquest in British history, lasting 90 days, a verdict of accidental death is returned by a majority verdict of 9-2. Ms Aspinall, chairwoman of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, thanked those who had supported the families over the past 31 years. For one teacher, it was a life well-lived. The retired chief . It may sound like a clich to say lessons must be learnt, but todays verdict means this has never been more relevant or important. "We, the families, have fought for 30 years valiantly.". Click to reveal 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.. 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. 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. Due to the law at the time, there can be no prosecution over the death of the 96th victim, Tony Bland. Wed 1 Mar 2023 12.40 . It fuels calls for a new inquiry and is later awarded a Bafta. 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. Covid cut it short. The new Labour government orders a review of the evidence by Lord Justice Stuart-Smith. Evelyn Newman Duckenfield, center, died at age 81 of covid-19 on Jan 25. Addressing the families in the court he said: It has now dawned on me what it means to you, and I am dreadfully sorry.. He said himself, in Warrington, he considered his words to then FA Chief Executive Graham Kelly a lie. Following a public announcement by Labour minister Andy Burnham, concerning the possible early release of Hillsborough-related documents, the HFSG meets with the home secretary and the Hillsborough Independent Panel is set up. Video, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story, Reaction as David Duckenfield is cleared of manslaughter, argued the case against him was "deeply unfair", Harry and Meghan told to 'vacate' Frogmore Cottage, Rare Jurassic-era bug found at Arkansas Walmart, Dozens of girls treated after new Iran poisonings, China and Belarus call for peace in Ukraine, Prince Andrew offered Frogmore Cottage - reports, Beer and wine sales in Canada fall to all-time low, Ed Sheeran says wife developed tumour in pregnancy, Havana Syndrome unlikely to have hostile cause - US. We need to be able to trust the emergency services and the systems that are set up to protect the populace. Despite this, the retired officer was able to walk away last week in the face of overwhelming evidence and his own admissions. By 2.45pm, thousands of people were pressing into the turnstiles and alongside a large exit gate. Mistake. The acquittal was not a shock. Duckenfield had agreed earlier that he had not acted as a reasonably competent match commander on the day, due to the mistakes he made. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Abuse of process arguments for other defendants fails. 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. The verdict defies logic. He will now be able to resume his life in retirement on the south coast. But this influx caused further crushing inside the stadium, with fans at the front attempting to climb onto the pitch to safety. ", "I have no excuses. The agony of the families of the dead is unimaginable. The families watching in a conference room in Liverpool were aghast. Judith Moritz, BBC North of England correspondent. At 2.48pm Gate C was opened - also by police in the area - sparking a comment from an officer alongside Duckenfield that fans had stormed the ground. It was not opened on orders from the police control box but by police in the area to eject a fan. Around 2,000 fans enter, many heading down a central tunnel and into already busy terrace pens, leading to the tragic crush. 2.48pm: One of those gates, Gate C, is opened. david duckenfield cycling. "We say that is unfair, there are so many other people at fault, and so many causes," the barrister added. A jury failed to reach a verdict in the case of David Duckenfield, the former South Yorkshire police chief superintendent and match commander on the day of the Hillsborough disaster. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. The only effective way to ensure this sort of scenario is not repeated is accountability. 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. The Crown Prosecution Service has said it will seek a retrial, which Duckenfield is expected to oppose, at a hearing scheduled for 24 June. Hawara: 'What happened was horrific and barbaric'. ", "It is important to remember that criminal proceedings have a very different purpose to an inquest.". When Mr Duckenfield, the police officer in charge of keeping people safe at Hillsborough in 1989, attempted to apologise for the deaths of 96 people, the family members listening to his testimony gasped. Matt Hancock and the Lockdown Files: whats happening with the Covid inquiry? The city of Liverpool will today remember the 96 football fans who died at Hillsborough stadium, 30 years to the day since the disaster. He acknowledged that even after he said he realised, at 3:04pm on the day, that he was facing a medical emergency not an incident of disorder, he called for police dogs to come to the ground, not ambulances. After three years reviewing 450,000 documents, including those relating to former prime minister Margaret Thatcher and Merseyside Police, the Hillsborough Independent Panel publishes its report and exposes the police campaign to blame Liverpool fans. Charlotte, who was six at the time of the Hillsborough family Support Group, those! 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