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The Hillsborough inquest


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  • 1 year later...

Beeb

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The match commander on the day of the Hillsborough disaster David Duckenfield will face trial for the manslaughter by gross negligence of 95 football supporters, a judge has ruled.

The decision to prosecute the former chief superintendent was made by Sir Peter Openshaw at Preston Crown Court who lifted a stay on his prosecution.

An order preventing him being tried was imposed 18 years ago.

Four other men will also face trial on charges related to Hillsborough.

Mr Duckenfield, 73, was match commander at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest when 96 Liverpool fans were fatally injured in a crush in the terrace pens.

Former Sheffield Wednesday club secretary Graham Mackrell is charged with health and safety, and safety at sports grounds offences.

The trial of Mr Duckenfield and Mr Mackrell is currently listed to start on 10 September.

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48 minutes ago, snowychap said:

Im probably out of step here, but the guy had to make split second decisions. It is easy to say with reference to numerous reports and the benefit of hindsight that he should have done this that and the other, he didn't have that option. I would have to question whether he would get a fair trail such is the momentum that this thing has got going now. 

 

 

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1 hour ago, hippo said:

Im probably out of step here, but the guy had to make split second decisions. It is easy to say with reference to numerous reports and the benefit of hindsight that he should have done this that and the other, he didn't have that option.

It's a good job you won't be on the jury then. ;)

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20 minutes ago, snowychap said:

It's a good job you won't be on the jury then. ;)

Thats a good point actually - wonder where the trail will be held ?  and the jury selection process 

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7 hours ago, hippo said:

Im probably out of step here, but the guy had to make split second decisions. It is easy to say with reference to numerous reports and the benefit of hindsight that he should have done this that and the other, he didn't have that option. I would have to question whether he would get a fair trail such is the momentum that this thing has got going now. 

 

 

I Agree, as you with hindsight and all the following reports it’s easy to point blame. But you have to ask, would anyone have acted differently in the same situations. That’s where the defence counsel hasn’t to show that he followed protocol and didn’t what anyone would do. The prosecuting counsel has to show without hindsight he acted negligently. I’m not sure that they will be able to prove negligence at the time, but I’m pretty certain he’ll still be found guilty as there is too much media attention on it. I’m surprised the judge allowed this to go public at this stage and not after the hearing.

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11 minutes ago, mikeyp102 said:

I’m surprised the judge allowed this to go public at this stage and not after the hearing.

:unsure:

It has been public knowledge that this was due for trial in September this year (depending upon arguments heard and decisions made) since last year according to this:

Quote

David Duckenfield aims to block Hillsborough prosecution as Preston trial backed

Hillsborough match commander David Duckenfield could go on trial in autumn next year in Preston but will attempt to block any prosecution, a court heard today.

Duckenfield, 72, is scheduled to go before a jury at a trial starting on September 10 and lasting between ten and 12 weeks at Preston Crown Court, according to provisional details given at a pre-trial hearing at Preston on Wednesday.

However, Duckenfield and five other defendants will first attempt to block any prosecution as an "abuse of process" on the grounds of delay and prejudicial publicity, the court heard.

...

All the dates and the venue of Preston Crown Court are provisional and dependent on further judges' rulings following more legal argument.

... more on link

Published: 6 September 2017 7:15PM

 

Edited by snowychap
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59 minutes ago, mikeyp102 said:

I Agree, as you with hindsight and all the following reports it’s easy to point blame. But you have to ask, would anyone have acted differently in the same situations. That’s where the defence counsel hasn’t to show that he followed protocol and didn’t what anyone would do. The prosecuting counsel has to show without hindsight he acted negligently. I’m not sure that they will be able to prove negligence at the time, but I’m pretty certain he’ll still be found guilty as there is too much media attention on it. I’m surprised the judge allowed this to go public at this stage and not after the hearing.

But its not really justice - its just that the Hillsborough group have gotten so powerful that its a brave man who stands up to them. 

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4 hours ago, blandy said:

And now someone who the inquest jury found :snip:

Just nitpicking a little but I think it's important (especially as a criminal case is due).

They didn't find Duckenfield guilty, did they? That wasn't what they were asked. In order to find that the 96 were unlawfully killed, they had to be satisfied that the breach of the duty of care that he owed to those 96 caused the deaths and amounted to gross negligence - which they did. That has led to the CPS bringing criminal charges against him. He is innocent of those charges at this point in time.

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3 hours ago, snowychap said:

Just nitpicking a little but I think it's important (especially as a criminal case is due).

They didn't find Duckenfield guilty, did they? That wasn't what they were asked. In order to find that the 96 were unlawfully killed, they had to be satisfied that the breach of the duty of care that he owed to those 96 caused the deaths and amounted to gross negligence - which they did. That has led to the CPS bringing criminal charges against him. He is innocent of those charges at this point in time.

He was found to be "responsible for manslaughter by gross negligence" due to a breach of his duty of care”. I take the point that the inquiry wasn’t a criminal trial, that’s next, and therefore he hasn’t (yet) been found guilty in a criminal court, but the inquiry jury did find he was to blame. So guilty in that sense. Thanks for pointing out the problem wording, which I’ve edited

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Kind of bitterly ironic to read people in this thread taking pity on an old man facing a probable stretch in prison, when precisely the whole reason why he's an old man now is an ongoing cover-up operation which he was intimately involved in. 

He deserves whatever he gets. 

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39 minutes ago, HanoiVillan said:

Kind of bitterly ironic to read people in this thread taking pity on an old man facing a probable stretch in prison, when precisely the whole reason why he's an old man now is an ongoing cover-up operation which he was intimately involved in. 

He deserves whatever he gets. 

Nope that just aging

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  • 1 month later...

Doesn't seem likes its one way traffic anymore 

https://news.sky.com/story/former-west-yorkshire-police-chief-sir-norman-bettison-will-not-be-prosecuted-over-hillsborough-11478306

"Former police chief Sir Norman Bettison will not be prosecuted for misconduct in a public office over the Hillsborough disaster.

Four charges against him were dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) on Tuesday "following a review of the evidence".

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20 hours ago, hippo said:

Doesn't seem likes its one way traffic anymore 

https://news.sky.com/story/former-west-yorkshire-police-chief-sir-norman-bettison-will-not-be-prosecuted-over-hillsborough-11478306

"Former police chief Sir Norman Bettison will not be prosecuted for misconduct in a public office over the Hillsborough disaster.

Four charges against him were dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) on Tuesday "following a review of the evidence".

No shock there as that's what I expected.  Absolute farce 

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1 minute ago, Demitri_C said:

No shock there as that's what I expected.  Absolute farce 

I think you can lean on people to write reports - but a criminal defence lawyer is a different matter

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21 hours ago, Demitri_C said:

"following a review of the evidence".

It feels like It's more about who the crime affects as oppose to who does the crime.  (Eg Grenfell).

If 95 people were crushed to death in the Albert Hall at the Proms I suspect it would all of been a bit differnet somehow, maybe with people in prison and everything.

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