what happened to david duckenfield

Duckenfield then lied and told FA executives that fans had broken in to the stadium. Ben Myers QC made the claim in his. PC Maxwell Groome was on duty for the match at Sheffield Wednesdays stadium. The man who caused so much pain has escaped the consequences. 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 families watching in a conference room in Liverpool were aghast. The acquittal of David Duckenfield is the latest twist in the history of a disaster which has lasted 30 years. Addressing the families in the court he said: It has now dawned on me what it means to you, and I am dreadfully sorry.. The former South Yorkshire Police chief superintendent, 75, was in charge of the FA Cup semi-final in which 96 fans were fatally injured. 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. It took some tortuous legal logic to create a courtroom environment where this could be allowed to happen. More than 2,000 fans then entered through exit gate C, with many heading for the tunnel ahead of them, which led to the central pens of the terrace where the crush happened. 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. For one teacher, it was a life well-lived. "I would like to know who is responsible for my father's death because someone is.". The match commander on the day, David Duckenfield, was cleared of gross. "We say that is unfair, there are so many other people at fault, and so many causes," the barrister added. 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The passage of 30 years has presented challenges for everyone involved in the legal process, prosecution and defence. 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. david duckenfield cycling. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Meanwhile, the families of six victims appeal for a judicial review application to quash the inquest verdict. Bereaved families are angered that the inquests cannot consider the emergency response after that point, and an accidental death verdict is returned on 26 March 1991. The Crown Prosecution Service has said it will seek a retrial, which Duckenfield is expected to oppose, at a hearing scheduled for 24 June. The former chief superintendent of South Yorkshire police, David Duckenfield, leaves after giving evidence to the Hillsborough inquest in Warrington. BBC News Inquests into the 96 football fans who died in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster have concluded they were unlawfully killed. He also rejects a prosecution application to prevent tweeting from court, sharing articles on social media or embedding video into news articles. The trial of Mr Duckenfield and Mr Mackrell starts at Preston Crown Court. The Police Complaints Authority (PCA) find there is sufficient evidence to charge them with neglect of duty but Mr Duckenfield is on sick leave during the process, and retires on medical grounds in November 1991. Visit our corporate site www.futureplc.com Future Publishing Limited, Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. There are renewed calls for a fresh inquest or public inquiry. Video, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story, Harry and Meghan told to 'vacate' Frogmore Cottage, Dozens of girls treated after new Iran poisonings, Rare Jurassic-era bug found at Arkansas Walmart, Ed Sheeran says wife developed tumour in pregnancy, China and Belarus call for peace in Ukraine, Covid origin likely China lab incident - FBI chief, Man survives 31 days in jungle by eating worms, Havana Syndrome unlikely to have hostile cause - US. Abuse of process arguments for other defendants fails. Read about our approach to external linking. "Over this period, I have had to come to terms with reality, and that is why, over the period, you might say I dug my head in the sand, didn't admit things to myself, but 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. Mr Duckenfield, of Ferndown, Dorset, was cleared after a seven-week retrial at Preston Crown Court. 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 former chief superintendent said he "deeply regretted" not telling then-FA chief executive Graham Kelly that it was his decision that caused the fatal crush saying he would regret the lie "to his dying day". 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. Allan Green, the director of public prosecutions, finds there is insufficient evidence to bring criminal charges against any individual, group or corporate body. The crown's case was that the Chief Superintendent's failings were so extraordinary that they met that test. 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. Former Hillsborough match commander David Duckenfield at Preston Crown court. Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. He said this as. 2.48pm: One of those gates, Gate C, is opened. Men, women and children were crushed on the Leppings Lane terrace. When all Hillsborough legal proceedings are concluded we should, as a society, take time to consider these matters and learn lessons. Following a public announcement by Labour minister Andy Burnham, concerning the possible early release of Hillsborough-related documents, the HFSG meets with the home secretary and the Hillsborough Independent Panel is set up. For a person to be found guilty of gross negligence manslaughter the prosecution has to prove that he - or she - owed a duty of care to the victim and negligently breached it. Read about our approach to external linking. Both . 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. By November 1991, he was medically retired from South Yorkshire Police on a full pension, two years after being suspended from duty. Judith Moritz, BBC North of England correspondent. 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. But this influx caused further crushing inside the stadium, with fans at the front attempting to climb onto the pitch to safety. 2023 BBC. 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.. 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. Paul Robinson, whose brother Steven was killed in the stadium crush, said: "As a family we would like to thank all those who have supported us over the years in our quest for justice and accountability. David Duckenfield had been appointed Chief Superintendent of the South Yorkshire Police just 19 days before the disaster. 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. He told the court: "We say David Duckenfield did do what he was expected to do as match commander. This was to be a fatal decision as thousands of Liverpool. 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. A police chief told a "wicked lie" by suggesting Liverpool fans forced open a gate ahead of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, the inquests heard. He also admitted to a "terrible lie". 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. 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. "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. Solicitor Peter Metcalf, former chief superintendent Donald Denton and former detective chief inspector Alan Foster are all charged with perverting the course of justice. "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. 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. 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. 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. Duckenfield was a public servant who failed in his basic duties to the people he was charged with protecting. 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. 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. Duckenfield stood trial earlier this year but the jury was discharged after failing to reach a verdict and a retrial was ordered. It was not opened on orders from the police control box but by police in the area to eject a fan. He said himself, in Warrington, he considered his words to then FA Chief Executive Graham Kelly a lie. 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. After the longest inquest in British history, lasting 90 days, a verdict of accidental death is returned by a majority verdict of 9-2. He said he would regret them to his dying day. The trial against retired Ch Supt Donald Denton, 83, retired Det Ch Insp Alan Foster, 74, and former solicitor Peter Metcalf, 71, collapses. Many of the bereaved family members, including mothers whose children were killed in the disaster, were crying as Duckenfield spoke. The report says a pitch invasion was unlikely at the beginning of a match and there was no effective leadership to organise rescue efforts or relieve pressure from behind the pens where the crush happened. Amid growing calls for transparency, the Hillsborough Independent Panel is set up. Thirty years later he remained a man who sought, via his lawyers, to do the same thing. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, Latest trial follows two sets of inquests, private prosecutions and civil proceedings over the disaster, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. The court was played audio of the retired chief superintendent giving evidence to inquests in 2015. But he remains a liar whose claims caused hurt, anger and despair. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. 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. Relatives and friends of the victims were gathered at the Cunard Building on Liverpool's waterfront when the verdict was announced. In February 2000, both officers appeal to the Divisional Court but fail and the trial is held in Leeds between 6 June and 24 July 2000. The death of two witnesses and contradictions in the evidence of others is cited as part of the reason for the decision. Something went wrong, please try again later. Her adult life has been dominated by the quest to find the truth about her father and gain justice for him. Sheffield Wednesday's former club secretary Graham Mackrell was found guilty of a health and safety offence in May 2019. The then Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) concludes that there is no new evidence as alleged by the HFSG and their legal representatives, and therefore no grounds for reopening the police investigation into the Hillsborough disaster. 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. It is true the same stadium exit gate he ordered to be opened at 2.52pm opened minutes earlier without his instruction. The acquittal was not a shock. It may sound like a clich to say lessons must be learnt, but todays verdict means this has never been more relevant or important. Here is how events have unfolded in the 30 years since the disaster. inquest verdicts brought by six representative families. The scrutiny goes ahead but in February 1998, Lord Justice Stuart-Smith rejects grounds for quashing the accidental death verdicts or bringing prosecutions. 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. The court heard the chief superintendent ordered the opening of exit gates at the Leppings Lane end of the ground at 2.52pm, eight minutes before kick-off, after the area outside the turnstiles became dangerously overcrowded. 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. 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. Read about our approach to external linking. Labour MP Andy Burnhams address to the 20th anniversary memorial service is interrupted by chants of Justice for the 96. David Duckenfield is one of six people to be charged with manslaughter over the deaths resulting from the disaster which claimed the lives of 96 fans. Jimmy Hennessey, a 29-year-old, had negligible medical attention and was placed in a body bag while still alive. But in November 1991, a House of Lords ruling states that the chief constable of South Yorkshire has admitted liability in negligence in respect of the deaths and physical injuries. I hoped it would go away. The farriers prosecution for perverting the course of justice is found not to be in the public interest and there is insufficient evidence against the police officer. Jury fails to reach a verdict on the charges against Mr Duckenfield, but convicts Mr Mackrell of a health and safety offence. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. 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". That should never have happened, and we will continue to learn the . Home secretary Theresa May orders a new criminal investigation into the disaster, Operation Resolve. For all that time, the families of those who died, and the survivors of the crush, have campaigned for justice and accountability. Benjamin Myers QC told the jury his client had become "the focus of blame". A judge lifts the historic stay of further prosecution on Mr Duckenfield, allowing new proceedings to go ahead. david duckenfield cycling. The Hillsborough match commander was cleared of gross negligence manslaughter. A handwritten note apparently written by Tony Blair, asks why? Hillsborough match commander David Duckenfield has been found not guilty of the gross negligence manslaughter of 95 Liverpool fans in the 1989 disaster. Evelyn Newman Duckenfield, center, died at age 81 of covid-19 on Jan 25. Mr Duckenfields retrial starts at Preston Crown Court. 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. It was closed after 26 seconds and around 150 supporters are believed to have entered. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Tom Davidson Assistant news editor. 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. "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.". "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 is rejected by Lord Justice McCowan in the divisional court. Mr Duckenfield's wife, Ann, went over to comfort her husband in the courtroom after the verdict was read out. Hillsborough match commander David Duckenfield has been found not guilty of gross negligence manslaughter of 95 Liverpool supporters. 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. Last year it was confirmed no-one else would face prosecution for the unlawful killing of 96 men, women and children. 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. His lawyers argued those errors were accepted only in hindsight, and through the fight put up to try and stop him being prosecuted it was clear that, by the time he uttered not guilty at his manslaughter plea hearing in September 2018, he did not think those failings were so bad they were criminal. Performance & security by Cloudflare. And 30 years means many people, especially families, have had to constantly relive their terrible experience.". 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 that, in the pressure of the day, he froze and did not consider the consequences of his actions. 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.. 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. But then two years ago I had to force myself to look at matters and, as a result, I could only do so with the assistance of doctors. 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. 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 . 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. 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. What is wrong is that it has taken 30 years to get to this point. Attorney general Dominic Grieve had made an application based on the Hillsborough Independent Panels report. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 0 . Duckenfield did not give evidence in the trial as the court heard he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. He acknowledged that even after he said he realised, at 3:04pm on the day, that he was facing a medical emergency not an incident of disorder, he called for police dogs to come to the ground, not ambulances. Mr Duckenfield did not dispute that he ordered the opening of a gate at Hillsborough to let fans in, or that he failed to close the tunnel to the terraces which were already full. 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. ", 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. Even while the dead and dying were lying on the pitch, barely attended to by the emergency services, Duckenfield was throwing the blame and trying to avoid the responsibility for a decision that caused the carnage. The prosecution argued that, back then, Duckenfield was looking to shift blame. It was a catastrophic and deadly error. 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. This is because he died more than a year and a day after his injuries were caused. The new Hillsborough inquests start in Warrington, and go on to become the longest case ever heard by a British jury. "I hid myself away and could not bear the word Hillsborough", he said. " Hennesseys daughter Charlotte, who was six at the time of the disaster, has had the course of her existence changed. 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. The Taylor Report causes UK-wide changes to football stadiums, seeing fencing removed and standing terraces converted to seating areas at large venues. The former police chief was barely seen or heard of in the immediate aftermath of the disaster. 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. One family member shouted: "Stitched up again.". What's he waiting for? 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.". I seek guidance from people with greater experience and expertise than me. For this to happen, there needs to be accountability. Hillsboroughs final victim, 22-year-old Tony Bland, dies after being taken off life support, pushing the death toll up to 96. He said: "He has a resilient, passive and expressionless external presentation which gives no indication of his state of mind so don't draw an adverse inference against him.". A jury found the former South. 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 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. ", "It is important to remember that criminal proceedings have a very different purpose to an inquest.". The agony of the families of the dead is unimaginable. Following the broadcast of a television dramatisation of the Hillsborough disaster, the Home Offices Operational Policing Policy Unit writes to Michael Howard, then home secretary, saying it raises the suggestion that some of the victims were still alive at 3.30pm.

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what happened to david duckenfield