Hillsborough Chief Denies Police Conspiracy

The match commander on the day of the Hillsborough disaster has denied conspiring with other officers to conceal the truth about what happened.

David Duckenfield, former Chief Superintendent with South Yorkshire Police, was giving evidence for a third day at the new inquests into the death of 96 Liverpool fans at Hillsborough on 15 April, 1989.

Under cross-examination Mr Duckenfield admitted his decision to open a side gate and let thousands of Liverpool fans into an already overcrowded stadium was a "blunder of the first magnitude".

Rajid Monon, representing 75 Hillsborough families, suggested the admission was “hugely significant”.

"You knew that something horrific was unfolding. You could not handle the truth and that's why you lied,” he said.

"And once you lied the genie was out of the bottle and you could not put it back in. It marked, didn't it, the start of the police cover-up?"

Mr Duckenfield, 70, replied: "I don't think I was involved in any cover-up whatsoever."

Mr Monon suggested: "It was the beginning of a false narrative, a false story, about Hillsborough, wasn't it?"

"I disagree," replied Mr Duckenfield.

Mr Monon continued: "A false narrative that sought to blame Liverpool fans for what had happened and concealed the truth about your failings and other senior police officers. That false narrative has sadly survived to this day."

"There was no conspiracy as far as I’m concerned," Mr Duckenfield told the jury.

Earlier Mr Duckenfield issued a dramatic apology to the families of those who died for what he described as a "terrible lie" in not admitting it was his order that resulted in Gate C being opened.

Mr Monon asked why he waited 26 years to confess to lying.

Mr Duckenfield said: "I was possibly in denial. I never found a venue or an opportunity where I could meet with someone and speak to them honestly and openly and ensure that my thoughts and feelings would be reported fairly.

"This court gave me the opportunity to sit here and apologise fully for the first time without fear of anybody misrepresenting what I was saying."

Mr Monon asked: "If the families and their supporters had not waged a courageous and unrelenting campaign that culminated in the High Court in 2012 quashing the determinations made at the original inquests, you would have never made the public admissions under oath that you have made this week, is that right?"

"I don’t necessarily agree with that sir," replied Mr Duckenfield.

However, he accepted his admissions could be seen as "upsetting and infuriating" and "too little too late".

The jury heard how Mr Duckenfield had not realised fans would enter the stadium by two access tunnels when he gave the order to open the side gate.

Mr Monon said: "Your actions were so serious and fell so far below the standard expected of a reasonably competent match commander that it amounted to gross negligence. Do you agree?"

Mr Duckenfield replied: "In my view it was not negligent and most certainly was not grossly negligent.

"It was a blunder of the first magnitude," said Mr Monon.

"Sir, I cannot deny that," Mr Duckenfield replied.