what happened to david duckenfield

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. 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. 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. 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. because Duckenfield was acquitted in 2019 of a charge of gross negligence manslaughter, . The crown's case was that the Chief Superintendent's failings were so extraordinary that they met that test. I apologise unreservedly to the families and I hope they believe it is a very, very sincere apology. But this influx caused further crushing inside the stadium, with fans at the front attempting to climb onto the pitch to safety. Barry Devonside, whose son Christopher, 18, died in the disaster, said: "I'm shocked and stunned by the verdict of the jury. VideoRecord numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. Duckenfield added that he had no idea what motivated him to blame other people for his mistakes. By November 1991, he was medically retired from South Yorkshire Police on a full pension, two years after being suspended from duty. He had originally been accused of the manslaughter by gross negligence of 95 Liverpool fans, but denied all the charges. Hillsborough match commander David Duckenfield has been found not guilty of gross negligence manslaughter of 95 Liverpool supporters. Evidence was put to Duckenfield, who had very limited experience of football policing before he was promoted to command the semi-final only 19 days earlier, from Colin Allen, a Merseyside policeman who went to the match as a Liverpool supporter and survived the crush. inquest verdicts brought by six representative families. 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. This 1992 family photo shows, from left, her son Thomas . 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. David Duckenfield, who as an inexperienced chief superintendent in the South Yorkshire police was in charge of the match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, admitted he had not told the whole truth about mistakes he made on the day, through a succession of legal inquiries since 1989. As fans were dying he suggested they were responsible for the crush that was a consequence of his decision. South Yorkshire coroner Dr Stefan Popper begins the inquest process into the deaths, but only considers events up until 3.15pm on the day of the disaster, nine minutes after the match was stopped, so the role of the emergency services after the disaster does not come under scrutiny. 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. He also admitted to a "terrible lie". That sets the bar very high for the prosecution. 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. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Duckenfield stood trial earlier this year but the jury was discharged after failing to reach a verdict and a retrial was ordered. Duckenfield was a public servant who failed in his basic duties to the people he was charged with protecting. Read about our approach to external linking. 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. Sir, I am the man in overall control, he replied. 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. 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. The inquest blames police decisions and the layout of the stadium for the deaths. 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. 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. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. 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.. 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. If things go wrong it is important that investigations explain why and ensure the situation never occurs again. 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. But the jury accepted the defence case that the 75-year-old was a target of blame who was unfairly singled out for prosecution. It was a catastrophic and deadly error. They live with the misery every day. Due to the law at the time, there can be no prosecution over the death of the 96th victim, Tony Bland. I hoped it would go away. That cowardly deceit set the tone for everything that followed. 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. The former chief superintendent of South Yorkshire police, David Duckenfield, leaves after giving evidence to the Hillsborough inquest in Warrington. Unlike Duckenfield, the families, survivors and those affected by Hillsborough cannot sleep easy. 0 . 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". Sir Peter Openshaw, the judge, told the jury that the inquests findings which were not discussed in court were quite irrelevant. The HFSG is granted permission for a private manslaughter prosecution against Mr Duckenfield and Mr Murray. Read about our approach to external linking. ", "I have no excuses. I seek guidance from people with greater experience and expertise than me. In 2015 at the Hillsborough Inquests he accepted that this was the direct cause of the 96 deaths. Wed 1 Mar 2023 12.40 . 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 not opened on orders from the police control box but by police in the area to eject a fan. Hillsborough match commander David Duckenfield has been found not guilty of the gross negligence manslaughter of 95 Liverpool fans in the 1989 disaster. It is rejected by Lord Justice McCowan in the divisional court. There were shouts in the room as the verdict was announced. Lord Justice Peter Taylors interim report into the tragedy puts the blame on South Yorkshire Police. The families of the 96 Liverpool fans who died at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final, the survivors who managed to get out of the overcrowded pens at the Leppings Lane end of Sheffield Wednesdays ground, and the campaigners who have fought relentlessly for justice for decades were expecting the verdict. [1] This resulted in overcrowding of those pens and the crush. Expert policing witness Douglas Hopkins said this was a potential warning sign. 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. 2023 BBC. Here is how events have unfolded in the 30 years since the disaster. Mackrell, who sought in his defence to blame Liverpool supporters for the dangerous congestion that developed at the turnstiles, will be sentenced on 13 May. Turnips vs. tomatoes: should salad crisis force UK shoppers back to their roots? 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". 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?". Liverpool FC said it shared "the reactions and frustrations by the families today and those affected by the Hillsborough tragedy". "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. After delivering the verdict the judge, Sir Peter Openshaw thanked the jury before they were dismissed. Your IP: The full report reinforces criticism of the police while its recommendations lead to the introduction of all-seater stadiums and the removal of perimeter fencing around grounds. For one teacher, it was a life well-lived. What happened in Sheffield was beyond horrific. 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. Benjamin Myers QC told the jury his client had become "the focus of blame". "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. He said this as. ACC Jackson was alongside Duckenfield within minutes of the match being stopped. 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. 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 former South Yorkshire Police chief superintendent, 75, was in charge of the FA Cup semi-final in which 96 fans were fatally injured. David Duckenfield, the police commander at the Hillsborough football stadium disaster, was on Thursday found not guilty of the gross negligence manslaughter of 95 Liverpool fans who were. But while his acquittal means he did not fail to a criminal standard, it does not mean he did not fail at all. 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. 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. 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. About 45 family members watched the verdict from the Cunard building in Liverpool, where the trial was screened. David Duckenfield was in charge when a crush developed in terraced pens on 15 April 1989 . 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. He was. 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". 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. England and Wales company registration number 2008885, Subscribe to TheWeek. Judge Sir Peter Openshaw rejects a defence application to ban reporting on the Hillsborough trial until the jury delivers its verdict. The acquittal of Hillsborough match commander David Duckenfield has caused shock and anger after a 30-year campaign for criminal accountability for the disaster. 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. 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. 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. ", To the families he added: "It has now dawned on me what it means to you, and I am dreadfully sorry. VideoRecord numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. Jury fails to reach a verdict on the charges against Mr Duckenfield, but convicts Mr Mackrell of a health and safety offence. "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.". Meanwhile, the families of six victims appeal for a judicial review application to quash the inquest verdict. Only one ambulance made it onto the pitch; 42 remained in a queue outside. The Hillsborough Family Support Group mounts a private prosecution of Duckenfield and his deputy, superintendentBernard Murray, for manslaughter. Something went wrong, please try again later. "I would like to know who is responsible for my father's death because someone is.". And yet 23 minutes later he suggested it was the supporters, some of whom were dying beneath him, who were responsible. 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. 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. Sleep expert shares exact time children should go to bed, 11 things we learnt at an explosive Liverpool Council budget meeting, Police say body found in search for missing baby in Sussex, Eccleston skier races into a podium finish at Italian competition, Last minute donation saves Wirral flat full of unique artwork at auction, CQC publish findings on Ainsdale Court care home in Rainhill, Human error to blame for train crash - Greek PM, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. It also prompts calls for criminal action. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. 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. 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. But he now admits the crush occurred after he ordered an exit gate to be opened allowing 2,000 Liverpool fans to enter the stadium in just five minutes. The ruling states that all the victims were dead by 3.15pm. A handwritten note apparently written by Tony Blair, asks why? Flags will be flown at half-mast across the city, and the bells of the Town Hall will toll 96 times. 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. The Taylor Report causes UK-wide changes to football stadiums, seeing fencing removed and standing terraces converted to seating areas at large venues. Mr Duckenfield's defence counsel argued the case against him was "deeply unfair". 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. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. The prosecution of Hillsborough match commander David Duckenfield was "breathtakingly unfair" as he was made to take the blame for others, a jury has heard. 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. The CPS spokeswoman said: "The disaster at Hillsborough 30 years ago has caused unimaginable suffering to the families of those who sadly lost their lives and to everybody affected by the tragic events of that day. 2.17pm: Superintendent Roger Marshall requests for Leppings Lane to be closed to traffic. Mr Duckenfield's wife, Ann, went over to comfort her husband in the courtroom after the verdict was read out. A judge lifts the historic stay of further prosecution on Mr Duckenfield, allowing new proceedings to go ahead. Read about our approach to external linking. 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. 30 years means evidence has been corroded and some people and organisations cannot answer for their actions because they are no longer with us. Evelyn Newman Duckenfield, center, died at age 81 of covid-19 on Jan 25. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Blame other people for his mistakes to football stadiums, seeing fencing removed and terraces. 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Someone is. `` orders from the police control box but by police the... Is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks a and... Leppings Lane to be closed to traffic registration number 2008885, Subscribe to.. The inquest verdict, survivors and those affected by the families of six appeal! Liverpool fans in the 30 years since the disaster mounts a private manslaughter against. And anger after a 30-year campaign for criminal accountability for the disaster what motivated him to blame other people his... To climb onto the pitch ; 42 remained in a queue outside,... Read out charge of gross negligence of 95 Liverpool supporters been accused of the Hall... The bar very high for the disaster to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later apparently. By November 1991, he replied meanwhile, the families today and those affected by Hillsborough can sleep. 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