"I hid myself away and could not bear the word Hillsborough", he said. " Hillsborough match commander David Duckenfield has been found not guilty of gross negligence manslaughter of 95 Liverpool supporters. Liverpool FC said it shared "the reactions and frustrations by the families today and those affected by the Hillsborough tragedy". 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. A spokeswoman for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said the verdict did not affect the findings of the Hillsborough inquests, which ruled the victims had been unlawfully killed. Match commander tells inquest that watching a documentary made him realise the effect the disaster had on the bereaved families. Lord Justice Peter Taylors interim report into the tragedy puts the blame on South Yorkshire Police. Covid cut it short. The only effective way to ensure this sort of scenario is not repeated is accountability. ACC Jackson was alongside Duckenfield within minutes of the match being stopped. When asked if his "negligence" caused the disaster he told the inquest: "I wouldn't use the word negligence sir. He said he had post traumatic stress disorder, and hid myself away and could not bear the word Hillsborough after the report was published, but then said he had begun to face the truth two years ago, with the help of doctors. 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. Although there were other causes, the main reason for the disaster was the failure of police control, it concludes. The matchday commander at Hillsborough was. 2.48pm: One of those gates, Gate C, is opened. And despite the words of regret expressed in 2015, this included the resurrection of shameless claims about ticketless and late supporters. VideoRecord numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. david duckenfield cycling. One called out in court I dont want your apology and several walked out. He told the court: "We say David Duckenfield did do what he was expected to do as match commander. Read about our approach to external linking. 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. The Police Complaints Authority (PCA) find there is sufficient evidence to charge them with neglect of duty but Mr Duckenfield is on sick leave during the process, and retires on medical grounds in November 1991. "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. The 96 Liverpool supporters unlawfully killed at Hillsborough. By 2.45pm, thousands of people were pressing into the turnstiles and alongside a large exit gate. "We say that is unfair, there are so many other people at fault, and so many causes," the barrister added. 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. David Duckenfield found not guilty over Hillsborough disaster Hillsborough: Former Sheffield Wednesday club secretary fined 6,500 Sheffield Wednesday FC is also criticised for an inadequate. 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. A police doctor certified him as "unfit to undertake the duties of a police constable" and diagnosed him with "severe depression and post-traumatic stress disorder". 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. It fuels calls for a new inquiry and is later awarded a Bafta. ", 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. It is rejected by Lord Justice McCowan in the divisional court. The anniversary comes 12 days after a jury at Preston Crown Court failed to reach a verdict on the prosecution of the match commander, Ch Supt David Duckenfield, who was accused of gross negligence manslaughter, reports The Guardian. England and Wales company registration number 2008885, Subscribe to TheWeek. 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. 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 Independent Police Complaints Commission launches an investigation into an alleged cover-up by officers in the aftermath of the disaster. It was closed after 26 seconds and around 150 supporters are believed to have entered. More than 2,000 fans entered through exit gate C once it was opened and many headed for the tunnel ahead of them, which led to the central pens where the crush happened. Only one ambulance made it onto the pitch; 42 remained in a queue outside. 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. Performance & security by Cloudflare. The former police chief was barely seen or heard of in the immediate aftermath of the disaster. 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. Duckenfields acquittal underlines that no one has been held responsible for Hillsborough. David Duckenfield was in charge when a crush developed in terraced pens on 15 April 1989 . 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. 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. Mr Duckenfield's defence counsel argued the case against him was "deeply unfair". Last year it was confirmed no-one else would face prosecution for the unlawful killing of 96 men, women and children. 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. I seek guidance from people with greater experience and expertise than me. Here is how events have unfolded in the 30 years since the disaster. The findings heavily criticise the police operation, stadium layout and design, and local ambulance service. He said he would regret them to his dying day. ", "I have no excuses. Evidence was put to Duckenfield, who had very limited experience of football policing before he was promoted to command the semi-final only 19 days earlier, from Colin Allen, a Merseyside policeman who went to the match as a Liverpool supporter and survived the crush. News. Men, women and children were crushed on the Leppings Lane terrace. And a jury of seven women and three men agreed with him when they cleared the 75-year-old of gross negligence manslaughter. For this to happen, there needs to be accountability. 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. Medical assistance at Hillsborough was woefully inadequate. Gate C, leading to the Leppings Lane terraces, is opened. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Duckenfield retires on medical grounds, suffering from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. He was. David Duckenfield had been appointed Chief Superintendent of the South Yorkshire Police just 19 days before the disaster. It has dashed their hopes repeatedly over the years. Following judicial advice, the PCA decides against proceeding against Mr Murray alone. There are renewed calls for a fresh inquest or public inquiry. 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. Match commander Ch Supt David Duckenfield had ordered for an exit gate at the stadium to be opened, by the Leppings Lane turnstiles. Who has been left to carry the weight and pain of the disaster? That cowardly deceit set the tone for everything that followed. Summing up the case, the judge said: "The deaths of 96 spectators, many of whom were very young, is, of course, a profound human tragedy attended by much anguish and anger which for many has not passed with time. 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. Mistake. 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 . After delivering the verdict the judge, Sir Peter Openshaw thanked the jury before they were dismissed. Many of the bereaved family members, including mothers whose children were killed in the disaster, were crying as Duckenfield spoke. 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. Despite having a greater following than Nottingham Forest, Liverpools supporters were allocated the smaller end of the stadium, Leppings Lane, so that their route would not bring them into contact with Forest fans arriving from the south. The prosecution alleged Mr Duckenfield had a "personal responsibility" for what happened at the match. Supporters were not responsible for what happened. avid Duckenfield can finally rest easily. David Conn Tue 1 Apr 2014 16.32 EDT The South Yorkshire police officer in charge of the 1989 FA Cup semi-final at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough football ground, at which 96 Liverpool. "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.". It was a catastrophic and deadly error. HILLSBOROUGH DISASTER- DAVID DUCKENFIELD FOUND NOT GUILTY, David Duckenfield was in charge the day 96 Liverpool fans were killed at Hillsborough, David Duckenfield has been cleared of gross negligence manslaughter, Hillsborough football ground shown to the inquests, Police and fans on the pitch at Hillsborough football stadium in Sheffield on April 15 1989, The disaster claimed the lives of 96 Liverpool fans. A police chief told a "wicked lie" by suggesting Liverpool fans forced open a gate ahead of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, the inquests heard. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. The most exhaustive and longest inquest in British history was dismissed as not being pertinent. After the verdict a CPS statement said that the decision of the jury does not affect the findings in the inquest which ruled the victims of the tragedy were unlawfully killed. Live reporting from the Hillsborough Inquests, Families and players react to conclusions. Duckenfield stood trial earlier this year but the jury was discharged after failing to reach a verdict and a retrial was ordered. A handwritten note apparently written by Tony Blair, asks why? And yet 23 minutes later he suggested it was the supporters, some of whom were dying beneath him, who were responsible. David Duckenfield, the police commander at the Hillsborough football stadium disaster, was on Thursday found not guilty of the gross negligence manslaughter of 95 Liverpool fans who were. Flags will be flown at half-mast across the city, and the bells of the Town Hall will toll 96 times. And it was David Duckenfield who gave this impression. This is because he died more than a year and a day after his injuries were caused. Duckenfield had agreed earlier that he had not acted as a reasonably competent match commander on the day, due to the mistakes he made. Inquests open in Sheffield, heard by the local coroner, and South Yorkshire Police renews its argument that drunk supporters who arrived late and without tickets contributed to the disaster. 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. 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. As the families continue to campaign, ITV screens a drama about the disaster written by Jimmy McGovern. I did my very best on the day.". david duckenfield cycling david duckenfield cycling. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. Tom Davidson Assistant news editor. David Duckenfield is one of six people to be charged with manslaughter over the deaths resulting from the disaster which claimed the lives of 96 fans. 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. Christine, whose father Henry Burke was killed in the disaster, addressed the judge after the verdict was read out. At the same hearing he admitted a cocktail of errors, ultimately telling his own barrister he accepted his professional failings led to the tragic crush. The retired chief . Benjamin Myers QC, defending Duckenfield, told the jury he had been a "target of blame" for the disaster. Sheffield Wednesday's former club secretary Graham Mackrell was found guilty of a health and safety offence in May 2019. Visit our corporate site www.futureplc.com Future Publishing Limited, Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. Mr Duckenfield, now 71, had claimed that after a large crowd built up outside the turnstiles at the Leppings Lane end of the stadium, Liverpool fans had broken in, causing a rush of people to flood into the fenced-in terraces. Read about our approach to external linking. At that point, Duckenfield gave the command to open another gate to the stadium and about 2,000 fans then made their way into the ground. The Sun newspaper publishes its infamous front page with the headline The Truth, blaming drunk Liverpool fans for the disaster and even accusing some of stealing from the dead and injured. Debate about Hillsborough should not be about football or the city of Liverpool; this is a matter of civic safety that has implications for everyone in British society. Turnips vs. tomatoes: should salad crisis force UK shoppers back to their roots? 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. 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. PC Maxwell Groome was on duty for the match at Sheffield Wednesdays stadium. Click to reveal He said footage of a mother having to cuddle her dead child on the dirty floor of the Hillsborough gymnasium was the most moving thing he had ever seen, and that it had shown him "what it means to a mother to lose a loved one". David Duckenfield can finally rest easily. David Duckenfield, a Police Chief Superintendent, who has been accused of the death of 96 people in the tragic incident of the Hillsborough disaster, was found not guilty in charge of manslaughter. VideoAt the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Why Covid lab-leak theory is now being taken seriously, 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. This halts disciplinary proceedings being brought by the Police Complaints Authority. 2.17pm: Superintendent Roger Marshall requests for Leppings Lane to be closed to traffic. David Conn. It also prompts calls for criminal action. 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 had no experience managing soccer matches, let alone an FA Cup semi-final. 2023 BBC. The passage of 30 years has presented challenges for everyone involved in the legal process, prosecution and defence. For one teacher, it was a life well-lived. Mr Murray is acquitted and the jury is undecided on David Duckenfield. This 1992 family photo shows, from left, her son Thomas . We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. 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. 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. Sir, I am the man in overall control, he replied. Something went wrong, please try again later. The HFSG is granted permission for a private manslaughter prosecution against Mr Duckenfield and Mr Murray. 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. Start your free trial. The report also accuses police chief David Duckenfield, who was responsible for the match, of blunders of the first magnitude. We need to be able to trust the emergency services and the systems that are set up to protect the populace. Due to the law at the time, there can be no prosecution over the death of the 96th victim, Tony Bland. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Three more defendants are still facing charges relating to Hillsborough: retired police officers Donald Denton, 80, and Alan Foster, 73, and police solicitor Peter Metcalf, 68, will all stand trial later this year. The funnel-shaped nature of the area meant that the congestion was hard to escape for those at the front, says the BBC. Home secretary Theresa May orders a new criminal investigation into the disaster, Operation Resolve. The Hillsborough match commander apologised to the families. The prosecution argued that, back then, Duckenfield was looking to shift blame. What has been heard here in this court will have been surprising to many, she said. He didn't breach his duty, he did what he was expected to do in difficult circumstances.". BBC News Inquests into the 96 football fans who died in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster have concluded they were unlawfully killed. But he remains a liar whose claims caused hurt, anger and despair. He also admitted to a "terrible lie". The city of Liverpool will today remember the 96 football fans who died at Hillsborough stadium, 30 years to the day since the disaster. Matt Hancock and the Lockdown Files: whats happening with the Covid inquiry? 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. Mr Duckenfield, of Ferndown, Dorset, was cleared after a seven-week retrial at Preston Crown Court. 0 . The former South Yorkshire Police chief superintendent, 75, was in charge of the FA Cup semi-final in which 96 fans were fatally injured. Read about our approach to external linking. Get email updates with the day's biggest stories. After the longest inquest in British history, lasting 90 days, a verdict of accidental death is returned by a majority verdict of 9-2. 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. 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. Of the 96 people who were crushed, trampled or suffocated, 37 were teenagers, most still at school, many attending their first away game supporting Liverpool. David Duckenfield, who as an inexperienced chief superintendent in the South Yorkshire police was in charge of the match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, admitted he had not told the. Hillsborough disaster: Timeline of the day, The overcrowding at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final at Hillsborough, Supporters are crushed against the barrier as disaster strikes before the FA Cup semi-final match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest played at the Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, 1989, Severe overcrowding resulted in 96 Liverpool fans losing their lives, Advertising boards which were used as stretchers, are piled up following the overcrowding at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final at Hillsborough, A young Liverpool fan sat pitch side, following the events of the Hillsborough disaster, 1989, Liverpool memorial service was attended by 3,000 people, Liverpool footballer Dalglish and his wife Marina at the memorial service in the catholic Metropolitan Cathedral in Liverpool, in memory of those killed in the Hillsborough disaster, 1989, Floral tributes are left by the goal at Hillsborough, April 1989, John Aldridge laying a floral tribute, Anfield, 1989, A woman being comforted as she kneels by floral tributes at the gate of the Hillsborough Stadium, Sheffield, the morning after ninety six Liverpool fans died from injuries suffered in the fatal crush at the ground, Former chief superintendent David Duckenfield in 1989, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher tours Hillsborough stadium with David Duckenfield (on her left) after the Hillsborough football disaster, Fans gathering at Anfield for a ceremony of remembrance following the Hillsborough disaster on 22 April 1989, Diana Princess of Wales talks to Liverpool fan and Hillsborough survivor Ian Clarke, 16 in Sheffield Hospital, Sadness engulfs Anfield and the Kop Stand as many hundreds of thousands of tributes are laid in memory of the 96 people who died at Hillsborough Stadium on 15 April 1989 at the FA Cup Semi Final match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, Liverpool Manager Kenny Dalglish watches in anguish as dead and injured Liverpool fans are carried away in ambulances (Getty Images), Supporters pay their respects after the Hillsborough disaster at Anfield in Liverpool, 1989, People help soccer fans at Hillsborough stadium after support railings collapsed during a match between Liverpool and Nottingham forest, Policemen rescue soccer fans at Hillsborough stadium after support railings collapsed during a match between Liverpool and Nottingham forest, Court shows layout of stadium in David Duckenfield's Hillsborough trial, Tony Bland was left severely brain-damaged following the Hillsborough football disaster in 1989, Cherie Blair looks on as her husband addresses the nation as prime minister in 1997, Labour culture minister Andy Burnham was reduced to mute nodding when his speech was drowned out by a chant of 'Justice for the 96', Relatives react after the jury delivered its verdict at the new inquests into the Hillsborough disaster, in Warrington, Relatives of those who died in the Hillsborough disaster celebrate outside the Hillsborough Inquest in Warrington, Margaret Aspinall holds a banner after the jury delivered its verdict at the new inquests into the Hillsborough disaster, Relatives of the Hillsborough sing 'You'll never walk alone' as they depart Birchwood Park after hearing the conclusions of the Hillsborough inquest, Relatives of Hillsborough victims show their emotions as they depart Birchwood Park after hearing the conclusions of the Hillsborough inquest, Relatives of Hillsborough victims hug as they depart Birchwood Park after hearing the conclusions of the Hillsborough inquest in Warrington, Margaret Aspinall (C), whose son James died in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, makes a statement following the conclusion of the inquest into the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, Relatives sing "You'll never walk alone" after the jury delivered its verdict at the new inquests into the Hillsborough disaster, Relatives of Hillsborough victims hold up banners as they depart Birchwood Park after hearing the conclusions of the Hillsborough inquest, Donna Miller (R), sister of Hillsborough victim Paul Carlile holds up a banner as relatives depart Birchwood Park after hearing the conclusions of the Hillsborough inquest in Warrington, David Duckenfield, match-day police commander at the Hillsborough football stadium disaster, arrives at court in Preston for his first trial in January, Retrial follows two sets of inquests, private prosecutions and civil proceedings over the disaster, Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in, Please refresh your browser to be logged in, How Hillsborough prosecution case against David Duckenfield fell apart, David Duckenfield found not guilty over Hillsborough disaster, Hillsborough: Former Sheffield Wednesday club secretary fined 6,500, Hillsborough families react to inquest conclusions, Timeline of Hillsborough families 30-year battle for justice.