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. Christine, whose father Henry Burke was killed in the disaster, addressed the judge after the verdict was read out. He told the court: "We say David Duckenfield did do what he was expected to do as match commander. They applied to have the case against them dismissed after a month of evidence in a trial that had been awaited for decades by the victims families. But while his acquittal means he did not fail to a criminal standard, it does not mean he did not fail at all. 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. 2.48pm: One of those gates, Gate C, is opened. The former chief superintendent of South Yorkshire police, David Duckenfield, leaves after giving evidence to the Hillsborough inquest in Warrington. 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. 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. Benjamin Myers QC told the jury his client had become "the focus of blame". Solicitor Peter Metcalf, former chief superintendent Donald Denton and former detective chief inspector Alan Foster are all charged with perverting the course of justice. Lord Justice Taylor concludes that the most fans were not drunk, nor even the worse for drink and highlights contributing factors including opening exit gates to allow fans into the ground and failing to delay kick-off. Assistant Commissioner Rob Beckley, who was in overall command of Operation Resolve - the criminal inquiry into the disaster, acknowledged the jury "had a difficult and challenging task". South Yorkshire Police match commander, David Duckenfield, is found not guilty of gross negligence manslaughter for the deaths of 95 Liverpool fans, in a retrial, by a majority of 9-1. For this to happen, there needs to be accountability. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. "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. Yet this was not a doddery septuagenarian being persecuted inappropriately for actions long buried in the past. The jury at the inquests returned a verdict of unlawful killing, reversing the 1990 ruling of accidental deaths. The stories of personal loss and individual pain have too often been overlooked. 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. 0 . Barry Devonside, whose son Christopher, 18, died in the disaster, said: "I'm shocked and stunned by the verdict of the jury. 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. 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. 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. The entrance had a limited number of turnstiles, of which just seven were allocated to the 10,100 fans with tickets for the standing terraces. 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. 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. david duckenfield cycling david duckenfield cycling. He was. 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. Abuse of process arguments for other defendants fails. 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. My first thoughts are with the 96 people who died in the Hillsborough disaster, their families, and the thousands of people who have been deeply affected by the events of 15th April 1989. Read about our approach to external linking. "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.". 91.195.53.16 Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. "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.". One called out in court I dont want your apology and several walked out. He was initially accused of telling lies about the culpability of fans and his role in the event, reports the BBC. The HFSG is granted permission for a private manslaughter prosecution against Mr Duckenfield and Mr Murray. It is rejected by Lord Justice McCowan in the divisional court. 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. ACC Jackson was alongside Duckenfield within minutes of the match being stopped. High Court judge Lord Goldring chairs the new inquests in Warrington, which last more than two years and becomes the longest jury case in British legal history. Mr Duckenfield, of Ferndown, Dorset, was cleared after a seven-week retrial at Preston Crown Court. 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. The Hillsborough Family Support Group mounts a private prosecution of Duckenfield and his deputy, superintendentBernard Murray, for manslaughter. I did my very best on the day.". Read about our approach to external linking. What's he waiting for? David Duckenfield is charge with gross negligence manslaughter of 96 victims, while former Sheffield Wednesday club secretary Graham Mackrell is charged with two health and safety offences. Hillsborough match commander David Duckenfield has been found not guilty of gross negligence manslaughter of 95 Liverpool supporters. "Everybody knew the truth, the fans and police knew the truth that we'd opened the gates," he said. Duckenfield then lied and told FA executives that fans had broken in to the stadium. 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. 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 . He admitted everything at the 2015 inquests into the disaster, saying that his professional failings led to the deaths of 96 innocent men, women and children. "Thirty years means myths took root about fans being a cause of the disaster, now unequivocally shown by both defence and prosecution evidence to be wrong. It fuels calls for a new inquiry and is later awarded a Bafta. 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. It was closed after 26 seconds and around 150 supporters are believed to have entered. The Crown Prosecution Service announces that six people are to be charged with offences in relation to the disaster Mr Duckenfield is charged with manslaughter and former Sheffield Wednesday club secretary Graham Mackrell for health and safety offences. I hoped it would go away. 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.. The turnstiles became difficult to operate and people were starting to be crushed. What has been heard here in this court will have been surprising to many, she said. 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. "I am really angry but I am trying be calm for these families who have suffered," she said. 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. Your IP: Duckenfield did not give evidence in the trial as the court heard he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. inquest verdicts brought by six representative families. "I would like to know who is responsible for my father's death because someone is.". It also prompts calls for criminal action. An investigation was launched after more than 1,500 police pocket notebooks relevant to the Hillsborough disaster were uncovered weeks before the trial of David Duckenfield was due to start, it. After Duckenfield mentioned the contribution in the police control room of Bernard Murray, who was a superintendent but has since died, Menon asked him if he was seeking to blame other people. In the eyes of the law Duckenfield is an innocent man. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. What is wrong is that it has taken 30 years to get to this point. The verdict defies logic. The acquittal was not a shock. They knew the law would let them down. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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. One family member shouted: "Stitched up again.". 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. A police chief told a "wicked lie" by suggesting Liverpool fans forced open a gate ahead of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, the inquests heard. A second juror is discharged on 19 November after suffering a bereavement, leaving a jury of seven women and three men to decide the case. 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. 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