UK - Hillsborough, Inquest into the deaths of 96 people at the FA Cup semi-final game, 1989 mistrial

[Legally Bland]

Graham Mackrell, the secretary of Sheffield Wednesday football club, has been fined £6,500 after he was found criminally responsible for the dangerous turnstile arrangements in operation on 15 April 1989 when 96 people were killed at its Hillsborough stadium.

Mackrell was found guilty on 3 April of failing in his official duties as the stadium’s safety officer to ensure there were adequate turnstiles for the thousands of people with tickets to support Liverpool in the FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest. He was also ordered to pay £5,000 towards prosecution costs.

The charge was brought under the 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act, which requires responsible people at work to keep others safe, but is punishable only with a fine. The Crown Prosecution Service originally charged Mackrell with two other offences that carried possible prison sentences for alleged breaches of the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975 but both were dropped before the conclusion of the 10-week trial.

[...]

The jury in the 10-week trial failed to reach a verdict on the charge against Duckenfield of having caused the deaths by gross negligence manslaughter after eight days of deliberation. The CPS is seeking a retrial, which Duckenfield is set to oppose, at a hearing set for 24 June.

Hillsborough safety officer fined £6,500 over safety breaches

 

[Alyce]

It did seem as though it was heading this way, as the jury seemed to need a lot of direction. When I read through the questions the jury had to answer yes or no to, in order to help them find the verdict, I did think that made it so much harder. Such a shame for the families involved as they just want a verdict I'm sure.

I agree, they do seem to have made it as difficult as possible for the Jury

 

[Alyce]

Graham Mackrell, the secretary of Sheffield Wednesday football club, has been fined £6,500 after he was found criminally responsible for the dangerous turnstile arrangements in operation on 15 April 1989 when 96 people were killed at its Hillsborough stadium.

Mackrell was found guilty on 3 April of failing in his official duties as the stadium’s safety officer to ensure there were adequate turnstiles for the thousands of people with tickets to support Liverpool in the FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest. He was also ordered to pay £5,000 towards prosecution costs.

The charge was brought under the 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act, which requires responsible people at work to keep others safe, but is punishable only with a fine. The Crown Prosecution Service originally charged Mackrell with two other offences that carried possible prison sentences for alleged breaches of the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975 but both were dropped before the conclusion of the 10-week trial.

[...]

The jury in the 10-week trial failed to reach a verdict on the charge against Duckenfield of having caused the deaths by gross negligence manslaughter after eight days of deliberation. The CPS is seeking a retrial, which Duckenfield is set to oppose, at a hearing set for 24 June.

Hillsborough safety officer fined £6,500 over safety breaches

Words fail me, they really do - 96 lives and - so far - just a paltry fine. Where is the justice ?

 

[Legally Bland]

Hillsborough match commander David Duckenfield is to face a retrial over the deaths of 95 football fans.

[...]

The trial is due to start on 7 October at Preston Crown Court.

Hillsborough match commander faces retrial

 

[Alyce]

Good to hear

 

[Mrs Marple]

Is there a new thread? I couldn't see one.

 

[Littlegreenlady]

I saw a clip on the news last night about the trial - October has come around so quickly!

David Duckenfield failed 'reprehensibly' at Hillsborough, jury told

Hillsborough trial: updates on retrial of David Duckenfield

What I find frustrating, and did with the previous trial, that it's all about the actual event itself. The cover up and the way Duckenfield forced people to lie about what had happened has never come into it. I understand why it's not, but all the same, it just gets to me that he got away with the cover up for so long

 

[Alyce]

Hillsborough match commander David Duckenfield has been found not guilty of the gross negligence manslaughter of 95 Liverpool fans in the 1989 disaster.


Hillsborough police chief cleared of manslaughter


I simply despair at this verdict, it is heartbreaking.

 

[Legally Bland]

I guess that's it then. The cover up worked.

I feel terrible for the families.

 

[Littlegreenlady]

I can't believe after all this time, he's been found not guilty. It's just sickening. I know he didn't wake up that morning with the intention of killing 96 people, but his actions not only directly influenced what happened, but he spent years on the cover up and forced people to lie about what actually happened. It makes me so angry that he will now feel vindicated.

 

[scapa]

Shocking and not shocking. All this time and effort for what is, essentially, a bluewash. Don't see them retrying this anytime soon, if ever. Devastating for the families.

 

[asyousay]

As a Liverpool fan this makes me feel sick but unfortunately I think his age has played a part here.

I think if he was 20 years young he would of been found guilty.


How can you say 95 people was unlawfully killed but then find the person responsible on that day not guilty?!

 

[Mrs Marple]

I think it's so complex. Undoubtedly he owed a duty if care to the public and he failed in that. But l also think he was given a high pressure task with limited experience. Those that appointed him as the person for the job should be in the dock as well imho.

 

[asyousay]

I think it's so complex. Undoubtedly he owed a duty if care to the public and he failed in that. But l also think he was given a high pressure task with limited experience. Those that appointed him as the person for the job should be in the dock as well imho.

But it’s not down to just that it’s the lying and shifting the blame for years afterwards. His failure on the day was bad enough but it was years afterward where he made the suffering for the family’s a billion times worse.

He has never given a damn about the victims and it’s always been about protecting himself. He is absolutely vile.

 

[KarenUK]

But it’s not down to just that it’s the lying and shifting the blame for years afterwards. His failure on the day was bad enough but it was years afterward where he made the suffering for the family’s a billion times worse.

He has never given a damn about the victims and it’s always been about protecting himself. He is absolutely vile.

All while the media trashed the reputations of the dead and their families. And now he gets to go back to enjoying his retirement on his police pension.

 

[Alyce]

But it’s not down to just that it’s the lying and shifting the blame for years afterwards. His failure on the day was bad enough but it was years afterward where he made the suffering for the family’s a billion times worse.

He has never given a damn about the victims and it’s always been about protecting himself. He is absolutely vile.

Exactly this. He made mistakes and then compounded them with his lies and cover up.

 

[Littlegreenlady]

I'm listening to a podcast on BBC Sounds at the moment called Hillsborough the full story. It's really interesting. 6 parts, with lots of interviews from the time, and later, and BBC Radio Merseyside who stayed on air all night to help get people to Sheffield and to interview people. It's very difficult to listen to at times, I cried all the way to work this morning listening to the story of a mother who waited to get news about her 18 year old son and how her husband drove down to Sheffield as they had met all the coaches coming back and he wasn't there. Honestly it was heartbreaking. And technology was against them, so many people queued for hours to use the only payphone in the area to get news back to their families so often they asked people to pass on messages.

I would definitely recommend it, but only with a large box of tissues. What made me really angry though was how they were interviewing people like Drs who said right from the start that the event was badly managed and that the police were to blame, and how 30 years later, Duckenfield has got away with it.

Another bit that made me angry and sad was a vicar who gave a requiem mass on the Sunday after the disaster and he said there would be an enquiry and an inquest and people would know the truth. It took 30 bloody years for that to happen.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Hillsborough trial: Statements 'altered to mask police failings'

Jurors were told to "forget everything" they had heard before about the disaster and concentrate only on the evidence heard in court.

The trial at the Lowry theatre - which has been converted into a temporary courtroom to ensure social distancing due to the coronavirus pandemic - is expected to last 16 weeks.

 

[Littlegreenlady]

Here's to hoping this trial doesn't go the same way as Duckenfield.

 

[Mrs Marple]

I'm listening to a podcast on BBC Sounds at the moment called Hillsborough the full story. It's really interesting. 6 parts, with lots of interviews from the time, and later, and BBC Radio Merseyside who stayed on air all night to help get people to Sheffield and to interview people. It's very difficult to listen to at times, I cried all the way to work this morning listening to the story of a mother who waited to get news about her 18 year old son and how her husband drove down to Sheffield as they had met all the coaches coming back and he wasn't there. Honestly it was heartbreaking. And technology was against them, so many people queued for hours to use the only payphone in the area to get news back to their families so often they asked people to pass on messages.

I would definitely recommend it, but only with a large box of tissues. What made me really angry though was how they were interviewing people like Drs who said right from the start that the event was badly managed and that the police were to blame, and how 30 years later, Duckenfield has got away with it.

Another bit that made me angry and sad was a vicar who gave a requiem mass on the Sunday after the disaster and he said there would be an enquiry and an inquest and people would know the truth. It took 30 bloody years for that to happen.

I might give it a listen at some point. All this lockdown covid business has knocked my resilience to this sort of thing at the moment.