The death of two witnesses and contradictions in the evidence of others is cited as part of the reason for the decision. 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. What has been heard here in this court will have been surprising to many, she said. 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. D avid Duckenfield can finally rest easily. Duckenfield was a public servant who failed in his basic duties to the people he was charged with protecting. PC Maxwell Groome was on duty for the match at Sheffield Wednesdays stadium. The Hillsborough Family Support Group mounts a private prosecution of Duckenfield and his deputy, superintendentBernard Murray, for manslaughter. Mr Duckenfields retrial starts at Preston Crown Court. Click to reveal The inquest jury concludes that the 96 victims were unlawfully killed and that Liverpool fans behaviour did not contribute to the crush. 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. Hillsborough match commander David Duckenfield has been found not guilty of the gross negligence manslaughter of 95 Liverpool fans in the 1989 disaster. 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. "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. The new Hillsborough inquests start in Warrington, and go on to become the longest case ever heard by a British jury. "We say that is unfair, there are so many other people at fault, and so many causes," the barrister added. England and Wales company registration number 2008885, Subscribe to TheWeek. Hillsboroughs final victim, 22-year-old Tony Bland, dies after being taken off life support, pushing the death toll up to 96. The stories of personal loss and individual pain have too often been overlooked. David Conn. Judith Moritz, BBC North of England correspondent. Despite this, the retired officer was able to walk away last week in the face of overwhelming evidence and his own admissions. When all Hillsborough legal proceedings are concluded we should, as a society, take time to consider these matters and learn lessons. 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. 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. The court was played audio of the retired chief superintendent giving evidence to inquests in 2015. 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.. What is the point?. Allen told the inquests last week that he had policed hundreds of football matches and attended thousands as a Liverpool fan. Duckenfield had agreed earlier that he had not acted as a reasonably competent match commander on the day, due to the mistakes he made. "I would like to know who is responsible for my father's death because someone is.". 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. Unlike Duckenfield, the families, survivors and those affected by Hillsborough cannot sleep easy. 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. After delivering the verdict the judge, Sir Peter Openshaw thanked the jury before they were dismissed. 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. Tom Davidson Assistant news editor. By 2.45pm, thousands of people were pressing into the turnstiles and alongside a large exit gate. The funnel-shaped nature of the area meant that the congestion was hard to escape for those at the front, says the BBC. The court heard he had ordered the opening of exit gates at the Leppings Lane end of the ground at 14:52 BST on 15 April 1989 - eight minutes before kick-off, after the area outside the turnstiles became dangerously overcrowded. 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. The man who caused so much pain has escaped the consequences. Application for a retrial is refused. Posted on 26 Feb in avondale redbud problems. 30 years means evidence has been corroded and some people and organisations cannot answer for their actions because they are no longer with us. Sheffield Wednesday's former club secretary Graham Mackrell was found guilty of a health and safety offence in May 2019. 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. After the longest inquest in British history, lasting 90 days, a verdict of accidental death is returned by a majority verdict of 9-2. 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. This halts disciplinary proceedings being brought by the Police Complaints Authority. "I hid myself away and could not bear the word Hillsborough", he said. " Because of the length of time between the disaster and his death, the law does not allow Mr Duckenfield to be charged with Mr Blands manslaughter. Allan Green, the director of public prosecutions, finds there is insufficient evidence to bring criminal charges against any individual, group or corporate body. It is rejected by Lord Justice McCowan in the divisional court. And yet 23 minutes later he suggested it was the supporters, some of whom were dying beneath him, who were responsible. 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. It was closed after 26 seconds and around 150 supporters are believed to have entered. david duckenfield cycling. This 1992 family photo shows, from left, her son Thomas . Around 2,000 fans enter, many heading down a central tunnel and into already busy terrace pens, leading to the tragic crush. Supporters were not responsible for what happened. Mr Duckenfield's defence counsel argued the case against him was "deeply unfair". By November 1991, he was medically retired from South Yorkshire Police on a full pension, two years after being suspended from duty. 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. Duckenfield stood trial earlier this year but the jury was discharged after failing to reach a verdict and a retrial was ordered. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. He was. They live with the misery every day. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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". Hillsborough match commander David Duckenfield has been found not guilty of gross negligence manslaughter of 95 Liverpool supporters. 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. lifts the historic stay of further prosecution on Mr Duckenfield, fails to reach a verdict on the charges against Mr Duckenfield. Thirty years later he remained a man who sought, via his lawyers, to do the same thing. I hoped it would go away. 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. BBC News Inquests into the 96 football fans who died in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster have concluded they were unlawfully killed. 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. 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. 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. David Duckenfield is not a criminal, a jury has decided. Solicitor Peter Metcalf, former chief superintendent Donald Denton and former detective chief inspector Alan Foster are all charged with perverting the course of justice. The FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest ends in tragedy as a crush at the Leppings Lane end of Sheffield Wednesdays Hillsborough stadium leads to the death of 96 Liverpool fans, with more than 750 people injured. ", 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. What is wrong is that it has taken 30 years to get to this point. "I am really angry but I am trying be calm for these families who have suffered," she said. Former Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzie apologises for the papers 1989 front page. 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. What is wrong is that it has taken 30 years to get to this point. The prosecution argued that, back then, Duckenfield was looking to shift blame. 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 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. 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. Up to 41 of the dead might have survived had they been given oxygen. 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. The inquest heard Mr Duckenfield testify he was struggling to sleep in the run-up to the 1989 Taylor Inquiry, and claimed to be drinking "half tumblers of whisky" to "find the courage" to read statements. 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 new Labour government orders a review of the evidence by Lord Justice Stuart-Smith. The jury had a difficult and challenging task examining evidence going back decades and I respect their decision. 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. I apologise unreservedly to the families and I hope they believe it is a very, very sincere apology. 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. 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