Judith Moritz, BBC North of England correspondent. Match commander tells inquest that watching a documentary made him realise the effect the disaster had on the bereaved families. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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. 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. Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. "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.". 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. Sir Peter Openshaw, the judge, told the jury that the inquests findings which were not discussed in court were quite irrelevant. Unlike Duckenfield, the families, survivors and those affected by Hillsborough cannot sleep easy. A jury found the former South. Performance & security by Cloudflare. 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. The acquittal of Hillsborough match commander David Duckenfield has caused shock and anger after a 30-year campaign for criminal accountability for the disaster. Christine Burke, whose father Henry Burke was killed in the disaster, stood in the public gallery and addressed the judge after the verdict was read out. lifts the historic stay of further prosecution on Mr Duckenfield, fails to reach a verdict on the charges against Mr Duckenfield. He was initially accused of telling lies about the culpability of fans and his role in the event, reports the BBC. The man who caused so much pain has escaped the consequences. 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. 30 years means evidence has been corroded and some people and organisations cannot answer for their actions because they are no longer with us. Your IP: 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. Men, women and children were crushed on the Leppings Lane terrace. Mr Murray is acquitted and the jury is undecided on David Duckenfield. A police chief told a "wicked lie" by suggesting Liverpool fans forced open a gate ahead of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, the inquests heard. Jimmy Hennessey, a 29-year-old, had negligible medical attention and was placed in a body bag while still alive. The jury fails to reach a verdict on Duckenfield. Despite this, the retired officer was able to walk away last week in the face of overwhelming evidence and his own admissions. During days of intense questioning at the inquests in March 2015, he admitted that he had lied about mistakes he made on the day and had kept that lie going for 26 years and through several legal inquiries. 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.. Hillsborough match commander David Duckenfield has been found not guilty of gross negligence manslaughter of 95 Liverpool supporters. Duckenfield was a public servant who failed in his basic duties to the people he was charged with protecting. The defendant's conduct must fall so far below the standard to be expected of a reasonably competent and careful person in the defendant's position, that it was something truly, exceptionally bad. 91.195.53.16 Tony Evans is a journalist and former football editor of the Times. He had no experience managing soccer matches, let alone an FA Cup semi-final. By this point he had not even told his boss, the on-call Assistant Chief Constable Walter Jackson, of his order for gates to be opened. "With all due respect, my lord, 96 people were found unlawfully killed to a criminal standard," she said. Several people whose family members died at Hillsborough in 1989 walked out of the new inquests into the disaster as the former policeman who commanded the FA Cup semi-final tried to explain why he had not told the truth for 26 years, and apologised again to them. Visit our corporate site www.futureplc.com Future Publishing Limited, Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. Former Hillsborough match commander David Duckenfield at Preston Crown court. Jury fails to reach a verdict on the charges against Mr Duckenfield, but convicts Mr Mackrell of a health and safety offence. 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.". 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. By 2.45pm, thousands of people were pressing into the turnstiles and alongside a large exit gate. The jury had a difficult and challenging task examining evidence going back decades and I respect their decision. 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. 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. Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. Duckenfield then lied and told FA executives that fans had broken in to the stadium. 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 Hillsborough match commander apologised to the families. The former South Yorkshire Police chief. The Hillsborough Family Support Group mounts a private prosecution of Duckenfield and his deputy, superintendentBernard Murray, for manslaughter. What is the point?. Prosecutors allege Duckenfield should have taken action to close the tunnel that led to those pens, a tactic his lawyer said he and other experienced officers were unaware of, but which the court heard had been used at Hillsborough before. Last year it was confirmed no-one else would face prosecution for the unlawful killing of 96 men, women and children. The HFSG is granted permission for a private manslaughter prosecution against Mr Duckenfield and Mr Murray. It was not opened on orders from the police control box but by police in the area to eject a fan. 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. What is wrong is that it has taken 30 years to get to this point. 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 former South Yorkshire Police chief superintendent, 75, was in charge of the FA Cup semi-final in which 96 fans were fatally injured. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Following judicial advice, the PCA decides against proceeding against Mr Murray alone. 2023 BBC. ", "I have no excuses. 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. 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. Hawara: 'What happened was horrific and barbaric'. 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. 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. Hillsboroughs final victim, 22-year-old Tony Bland, dies after being taken off life support, pushing the death toll up to 96. Mr Duckenfields retrial starts at Preston Crown Court. A Liverpool fan, he was present at the Hillsborough disaster, The not-guilty verdict over the Hillsborough tragedy has grave implications for society, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. And 30 years means many people, especially families, have had to constantly relive their terrible experience. The jury at Mr Duckenfield's original trial earlier this year failed to agree a verdict. 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. The turnstiles became difficult to operate and people were starting to be crushed. The inquest jury finds that Hillsboroughs 96 victims were unlawfully killed and that Liverpool fans were not responsible for the disaster. What is wrong is that it has taken 30 years to get to this point. As the families continue to campaign, ITV screens a drama about the disaster written by Jimmy McGovern. 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. Turnips vs. tomatoes: should salad crisis force UK shoppers back to their roots? For one teacher, it was a life well-lived. 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. The passage of 30 years has presented challenges for everyone involved in the legal process, prosecution and defence. David Duckenfield was in charge when a crush developed in terraced pens on 15 April 1989 . 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. And yet 23 minutes later he suggested it was the supporters, some of whom were dying beneath him, who were responsible. Flags will be flown at half-mast across the city, and the bells of the Town Hall will toll 96 times. As fans were dying he suggested they were responsible for the crush that was a consequence of his decision. He said this as schoolboys, sisters, a dad and his son were among those crushed inside pens created because they were treated like thugs rather than humans. 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 High Court quashes the original inquest verdicts of accidental death and orders new inquests. Hillsborough match commander David Duckenfield has been found not guilty of gross negligence manslaughter of 95 Liverpool supporters. When all Hillsborough legal proceedings are concluded we should, as a society, take time to consider these matters and learn lessons. D avid Duckenfield can finally rest easily. 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