Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a15357db81277bc 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?". "I am really angry but I am trying be calm for these families who have suffered," she said. On 1 November, a juror is discharged after telling fellow jurors dickhead Duckenfield needs to die, but the judge rules that the trial can proceed. 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. Members of the public make 17 complaints that are considered for disciplinary action, which is recommended for David Duckenfield and Bernard Murray, who was ground commander on the day. The prosecution in the case alleged Duckenfield, 75, had a "personal responsibility" for what happened at the match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. Liverpool FC said it shared "the reactions and frustrations by the families today and those affected by the Hillsborough tragedy". 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. He told the court: "We say David Duckenfield did do what he was expected to do as match commander. He was fined 6,500 and ordered to pay 5,000. 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 also rejects a prosecution application to prevent tweeting from court, sharing articles on social media or embedding video into news articles. 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 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". The retired chief . A Hillsborough charity music single, a version of He Aint Heavy Hes My Brother, is confirmed as Christmas Number One days later. It was a catastrophic and deadly error. Addressing the families in the court he said: It has now dawned on me what it means to you, and I am dreadfully sorry.. But the jury accepted the defence case that the 75-year-old was a target of blame who was unfairly singled out for prosecution. But he remains a liar whose claims caused hurt, anger and despair. He will now be able to resume his life in retirement on the south coast. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Recipe: Ayurvedic Jewish penicillin by Dr Rupy Aujla, Sunaks Brexit deal explained in five points, Messi vs. Ronaldo: all-time goals and statistics. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Judge Sir Peter Openshaw also told jurors the condition could explain Duckenfield's lack of reaction as he sat in the well of the court throughout the trial. The turnstiles became difficult to operate and people were starting to be crushed. "I would like to know who is responsible for my father's death because someone is.". As the families continue to campaign, ITV screens a drama about the disaster written by Jimmy McGovern. 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. Mr Duckenfield's defence counsel argued the case against him was "deeply unfair". The former match commander's solicitor, Ian Lewis, said: "David is of course relieved that the jury has found him not guilty, however his thoughts and sympathies remain with the families of those who lost their loved ones. Read about our approach to external linking. 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. 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. D avid Duckenfield can finally rest easily. David Duckenfield is not a criminal, a jury has decided. Former superintendent Roger Marshall agreed match. 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. 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.. Sir Peter Openshaw, the judge, told the jury that the inquests findings which were not discussed in court were quite irrelevant. 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 . It was not opened on orders from the police control box but by police in the area to eject a fan. 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. 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. The findings heavily criticise the police operation, stadium layout and design, and local ambulance service. Sir Norman Bettison, the former police chief constable accused of blaming fans for the disaster, has all four criminal charges against him dropped. 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 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. But was the regret he described at the disaster inquests the regret of having been dishonest, or the regret of having been found out? The court was played audio of the retired chief superintendent giving evidence to inquests in 2015. They live with the misery every day. 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. Sheffield Wednesday's former club secretary Graham Mackrell was found guilty of a health and safety offence in May 2019. "I think it's fair to say that it is arguably one of the biggest regrets of my life, that I did not foresee where fans would go when they came in through the gates," he said. No one should have to suffer the emotional damage that comes with such a burden. 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. "The journey that reached today's stage, and will continue, is testament to the perseverance and determination of all involved in the ongoing campaign for justice," the club said. Former Hillsborough match commander David Duckenfield at Preston Crown court. Turnips vs. tomatoes: should salad crisis force UK shoppers back to their roots? It is true the same stadium exit gate he ordered to be opened at 2.52pm opened minutes earlier without his instruction. It leads to a new criminal inquiry into the disaster and an investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission. 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. 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. 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. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. In 2015 at the Hillsborough Inquests he accepted that this was the direct cause of the 96 deaths. Live reporting from the Hillsborough Inquests, Families and players react to conclusions. A police chief told a "wicked lie" by suggesting Liverpool fans forced open a gate ahead of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, the inquests heard. "With all due respect, my lord, 96 people were found unlawfully killed to a criminal standard," she said. It is rejected by Lord Justice McCowan in the divisional court. Sue Hemming, the CPS director of legal services, reacts to the decision by issuing a scathing statement. 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. A jury found the former South. Although there were other causes, the main reason for the disaster was the failure of police control, it concludes. The Crown Prosecution Service has said it will seek a retrial, which Duckenfield is expected to oppose, at a hearing scheduled for 24 June. Mr Duckenfield's wife, Ann, went over to comfort her husband in the courtroom after the verdict was read out. 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. 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. 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. Mr Duckenfield said he felt the diagnosis was a "sign of weakness" and tried to "conceal" his conditions from family and colleagues but the publication of the report by the Hillsborough Independent Panel in 2012 and a TV programme he had seen about the disaster's effect on the families prompted him to finally tell the truth. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Due to the ongoing proceedings relating to Duckenfield, and a forthcoming trial of two former South Yorkshire police officers and the forces then solicitor on charges of perverting the course of justice, the 30-year memorial ceremonies will be muted. "We say that is unfair, there are so many other people at fault, and so many causes," the barrister added. 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. 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. The stories of personal loss and individual pain have too often been overlooked. Application for a retrial is refused. Who has been left to carry the weight and pain of the disaster? Now the Crown Prosecution Service could consider a prosecution against the former chief superintendent from South Yorkshire police after a jury decided his actions amounted to "manslaughter by gross negligence" due to a breach of his duty of care to fans. The former South Yorkshire Police chief superintendent, 75, was in charge of the FA Cup semi-final in which 96 fans were fatally injured. The citys council cancelled a planned outdoor commemoration event and instead will light 96 lanterns on the steps of St Georges Hall. Sir, it is now that I have thought very seriously about the families, Duckenfield said, explaining that the video 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. Jury fails to reach a verdict on the charges against Mr Duckenfield, but convicts Mr Mackrell of a health and safety offence. He said himself, in Warrington, he considered his words to then FA Chief Executive Graham Kelly a lie. 2023 BBC. 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. It was the founding myth of Hillsborough. Mansfield said: But this isnt what happened on this day, this wasnt fans turning up late, having got into a drunken state, was it?, Duckenfield responded: I will have to disagree., Pressed on whether he had received any information in the buildup to the match that fans turned up drunk and late, he replied: I cant recall, sir.. 2.17pm: Superintendent Roger Marshall requests for Leppings Lane to be closed to traffic. Covid cut it short. 0 . Read about our approach to external linking. This 1992 family photo shows, from left, her son Thomas . The city of Liverpool will today remember the 96 football fans who died at Hillsborough stadium, 30 years to the day since the disaster. 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