Advertisement

Hillsborough Chief Admits 'Terrible' Lie

The police officer in charge during the Hillsborough disaster has admitted a "terrible" lie in the aftermath of the match by not telling officials he had authorised the opening of a side gate.

Former chief superintendent David Duckenfield, speaking at the inquest into the deaths, said he was "deeply ashamed and embarrassed".

It was a decision that led to a crush in pens three and four of the Leppings Lane stand and resulted in the deaths of 96 Liverpool fans.

Mr Duckenfield turned to the families of the victims from the witness box and said: "I deeply regret what happened on the day, it was a major mistake on my part.

"I have no excuses. I apologise unreservedly to the families and I hope they believe it is a very very sincere apology."

He added: "No one can understand my behaviour on that day, least of all me."

Mr Duckenfield admitted that in a meeting at 3.15pm on the day of the tragedy, he had not told Football Association chief Graham Kelly that he was the one who ordered the gate opened.

Instead, he said fans had "got in through gates" - other witnesses claim he used the word "stormed".

The match commander was giving evidence for a second day in the new inquests into Britain's worst sporting tragedy.

He described his decision that day as "grave mistake" and said he had "no option" but to open the gates.

Under cross-examination from Christina Lambert QC, counsel to the inquest, the retired officer said he had not realised where the fans would go once they were opened.

He told the inquest: "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.

"I was overcome by the enormity of the situation and the decisions I had to make and as a result of that - this is probably very hard to admit - as a result of that I was so overcome probably with emotion of us having got into that situation that my mind, for a moment, went blank."

Mr Duckenfield said he had had a conversation with second-in-command Superintendent Bernard Murray.

"He said if you don't open the gates someone is going to get killed and that really was a shocking, almost terrifying moment, to feel we'd got to that situation.

"I said, 'Mr Murray, if people are going to die, I have no option but to open the gates'."

Earlier in the hearing, the former policeman said he had held a briefing on the morning of the tragedy but had "no recollection" of what he did until 2pm, an hour before the start of the game.

Mr Duckenfield declared it "remarkable" that he could not remember that period.

The 70-year old said he could not remember patrolling the stadium before the game but was "sure" he had looked at plans showing the layout, the inquest heard.

Mr Duckenfield also admitted having only a "basic knowledge" of the stadium.

Asked by Ms Lambert QC whether he "missed a golden opportunity" to patrol the ground prior to the match to learn about exits and stands, he replied: "I can't disagree with your suggestion, but I am afraid I can't answer your question."

The inquest heard how Mr Duckenfield held a briefing the day before the match, in which he wrote in a report and delivered, he said, word-for-word: "I cannot stress too highly the word 'safety'.

"The ground will be full to capacity today and some of you may never have experienced a football match of this nature.

"Our job is to ensure the safety of spectators."

The jury was told that a police intelligence report said the behaviour of Liverpool fans in 1989 had been "quite good" but noted some incidents at away matches where Stanley knives and weapons had been discarded "a short distance from the turnstiles".

There were reports, the inquest was told, of "pickpockets and travelling thieves" attending matches.

He told the jury: "I had no personal evidence or major doubts that this match wouldn't pass off in a normal manner."