They knew the law would let them down. A police chief told a "wicked lie" by suggesting Liverpool fans forced open a gate ahead of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, the inquests heard. 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. Hillsborough match commander David Duckenfield has been found not guilty of gross negligence manslaughter of 95 Liverpool supporters. Why should anyone care about Hillsborough? 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. Relatives and friends of the victims were gathered at the Cunard Building on Liverpool's waterfront when the verdict was announced. Duckenfield then lied and told FA executives that fans had broken in to the stadium. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a15357db81277bc BBC News Inquests into the 96 football fans who died in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster have concluded they were unlawfully killed. 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. Sir Norman Bettison, the former police chief constable accused of blaming fans for the disaster, has all four criminal charges against him dropped. Mr Mackrell is fined 6,500 for the offence, sparking outrage from victims relatives who called the penalty shameful. He admitted that until his evidence this week at these new inquests, he had not confessed to the series of mistakes he has now admitted. 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. 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. The former chief superintendent of South Yorkshire police, David Duckenfield, leaves after giving evidence to the Hillsborough inquest in Warrington. The High Court quashes the original inquest verdicts of accidental death and orders new inquests. 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. 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. 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.. 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. It took some tortuous legal logic to create a courtroom environment where this could be allowed to happen. 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. 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. The families watching in a conference room in Liverpool were aghast. What happened in Sheffield was beyond horrific. It also prompts calls for criminal action. It was a catastrophic and deadly error. He had no experience managing soccer matches, let alone an FA Cup semi-final. For the sake of the 96 innocent people who died 30 years ago, something like this should never happen again.. 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. Yet this was not a doddery septuagenarian being persecuted inappropriately for actions long buried in the past. 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. The match commander on the day, David Duckenfield, was cleared of gross. The findings heavily criticise the police operation, stadium layout and design, and local ambulance service. Her adult life has been dominated by the quest to find the truth about her father and gain justice for him. 91.195.53.16 Due to the law at the time, there can be no prosecution over the death of the 96th victim, Tony Bland. That should never have happened, and we will continue to learn the . Attorney general Dominic Grieve had made an application based on the Hillsborough Independent Panels report. 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. Attempting to explain his words in Warrington, he said: I was probably deeply ashamed, embarrassed, greatly distressed and I probably didnt want to admit to myself or anyone else, what the situation is.". Sheffield Wednesday's former club secretary Graham Mackrell was found guilty of a health and safety offence in May 2019. "With all due respect, my lord, 96 people were found unlawfully killed to a criminal standard," she said. Match commander tells inquest that watching a documentary made him realise the effect the disaster had on the bereaved families. Mr Duckenfield, of Ferndown, Dorset, was cleared after a seven-week retrial at Preston Crown Court. Lord Justice McCowan says he can see no fault in the coroner for cutting off the scope of the inquests at 3.15pm because he relied on medical evidence, and refuses to quash the verdicts. After the longest inquest in British history, lasting 90 days, a verdict of accidental death is returned by a majority verdict of 9-2. But the jury accepted the defence case that the 75-year-old was a target of blame who was unfairly singled out for prosecution. 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. Unlike Duckenfield, the families, survivors and those affected by Hillsborough cannot sleep easy. "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.". And it was David Duckenfield who gave this impression. Mr Duckenfield's defence counsel argued the case against him was "deeply unfair". The former South Yorkshire Police chief. 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 . 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". ", "I have no excuses. Home secretary Theresa May orders a new criminal investigation into the disaster, Operation Resolve. But an inquest is not a criminal court, and so it was for another jury to decide whether Mr Duckenfield's mistakes amounted to gross negligence manslaughter. 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. 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. The Crown Prosecution Service has said it will seek a retrial, which Duckenfield is expected to oppose, at a hearing scheduled for 24 June. 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