:00:08. > :00:10.A jury ruled the football supporters who died at Hillsborough
:00:11. > :00:21.And that they were in no way to blame.
:00:22. > :00:34.After two years in court, there's high emotion as the fight
:00:35. > :00:38.for justice finally delivers the verdict the families wanted.
:00:39. > :00:46.Please, God, you will sleep well tonight, as will the other 95. You
:00:47. > :00:48.are copy you are going to sleep well to night.
:00:49. > :00:50.David Duckenfield, the match commander on the day,
:00:51. > :00:52.is found to be grossly negligent in his duty to protect fans.
:00:53. > :00:54.Could he now face a criminal prosecution?
:00:55. > :00:57.We hear from the key witnesses, the survivors and the police
:00:58. > :01:01.officers who battled to save lives on the pitch.
:01:02. > :01:21.I didn't do enough, you see. I could never lose a child. That is awful.
:01:22. > :01:25.The cheers, tears, shouts and sobs from the families said it all.
:01:26. > :01:37.This was a verdict they'd waited 27 long years to hear.
:01:38. > :01:39.Tonight, finally, they have truth and justice.
:01:40. > :01:42.For more than a quarter of a century, the Hillsborough
:01:43. > :01:45.disaster on April 15th, 1989, has been officially an accident.
:01:46. > :01:46.Something that the police and emergencies services
:01:47. > :01:50.couldn't be blamed for, couldn't be held responsible for.
:01:51. > :01:53.The only people who were blamed were the fans.
:01:54. > :02:05.in a special court room in Warrington,
:02:06. > :02:07.the inquest jury handed down its conclusions.
:02:08. > :02:13.Killed by a police operation which was badly planned, badly led,
:02:14. > :02:15.in the words of the jury "grossly negligent".
:02:16. > :02:20.Criminal prosecutions could now follow.
:02:21. > :02:24.Our Merseyside reporter Andy Gill was there for the dramatic
:02:25. > :02:28.conclusion to the families' epic fight for justice.
:02:29. > :02:35.# With hope in your heart... #
:02:36. > :02:42.We were crying, we were shouting, we were shaking.
:02:43. > :02:48.# You'll never walk alone. #
:02:49. > :02:50.How long have they waited for this day?
:02:51. > :02:54.The families who queued for their place in court.
:02:55. > :02:56.I have never experienced anxiety like it before
:02:57. > :03:02.How long, the families who travelled from Liverpool to Warrington?
:03:03. > :03:06.So many emotions going around this morning for us all.
:03:07. > :03:15.25 years since the original inquests in Sheffield returned verdicts
:03:16. > :03:21.to the disbelief and fury of the families.
:03:22. > :03:31.The courtroom was quiet until the coroner
:03:32. > :03:36."Are you satisfied so that you are sure
:03:37. > :03:39."that those who died were unlawfully killed?"
:03:40. > :03:43.He said to the jury forewoman, "Was your answer yes?"
:03:44. > :03:48.27 years of anger and frustration broke, in
:03:49. > :03:57.# Walk on... #
:03:58. > :04:00.An impromptu celebration from people who still didn't quite
:04:01. > :04:05.That Hillsborough was not an accident.
:04:06. > :04:08.And I just prayed, put my hands together and prayed to my
:04:09. > :04:14."Please, God, you're going to sleep well tonight, James, as will
:04:15. > :04:22.They are, they are going to sleep well tonight.
:04:23. > :04:30.I always hoped, I dreamed that we would get this decision.
:04:31. > :04:37.The jury said a series of failings contributed to the disaster,
:04:38. > :04:41.and the failure of police and ambulance officers
:04:42. > :04:44.to react quickly enough, but fan behaviour did not play a part.
:04:45. > :04:48.And later there was criticism of aurhorities who'd tried to blame
:04:49. > :04:54.In these very proceedings we witnessed a strong
:04:55. > :04:57.campaign by ex-senior police officers, continuing
:04:58. > :05:05.Separate criminal and police misconduct inquiries continue.
:05:06. > :05:08.Today, though, was was about a wait finally over.
:05:09. > :05:29.27 years it's took, and we've done it.
:05:30. > :05:37.Joining me now are two very important people in that fight for
:05:38. > :05:40.justice, Jenni Hicks, who lost her daughters Victoria and Sarah, and
:05:41. > :05:44.Steve Kelly who lost his brother, Michael. I would like to start
:05:45. > :05:51.really, when you had the answer of the jewellery to question six, was
:05:52. > :05:53.it unlawful killing? What were your immediate thoughts? Relief, utter
:05:54. > :06:02.and total relief that finally, after and total relief that finally, after
:06:03. > :06:06.27 years, a jury had come to the right conclusion. It was quite a
:06:07. > :06:09.shock because we heard the first five questions and yes was answered
:06:10. > :06:14.to every one of those so by the time we got to number 60 emotions were
:06:15. > :06:18.very high anyway, and just looked around at the people surrounding me,
:06:19. > :06:22.there were tears flowing and people holding hands and touch each other
:06:23. > :06:27.and ghosts were coming from the court and, you know, it was a very
:06:28. > :06:32.momentous moment. You could see the relief on people's faces. It was a
:06:33. > :06:37.truly brilliant moment for all the families and all the survivors. When
:06:38. > :06:42.we spoke a few weeks ago you said you were not sure that you wanted to
:06:43. > :06:49.see anybody go to jail. Now, do you still feel that? Whether we will not
:06:50. > :06:54.because the main people we were looking at go to jail or possibly to
:06:55. > :06:58.hold these days so whether we get that we do not know and that will be
:06:59. > :07:01.decided later but now we have this decision today the DPP will make the
:07:02. > :07:03.decision and that will be down to them and people who are more
:07:04. > :07:11.qualified than me to those decisions. This has been a huge
:07:12. > :07:16.fight, and I know you have lost so much, is this justice, or is just a
:07:17. > :07:19.still to come? Justice is still to come, this was the truth today but
:07:20. > :07:22.the true justice will come when we have accountability because I do
:07:23. > :07:29.believe that a conclusion like we have had today from the jury today
:07:30. > :07:35.has to be followed up. You are looking at 96 innocent deaths, those
:07:36. > :07:41.96 people were unlawfully killed, so, yes, accountability is to
:07:42. > :07:49.follow, I think. For now, thank you very much indeed. Justice! Justice!
:07:50. > :07:52.The cry today, as in many days over the past quarter of a century,
:07:53. > :07:55.But behind that number lie 96 individual stories.
:07:56. > :07:57.96 football fans who just went out on
:07:58. > :08:00.a sunny spring day to support their team in the FA Cup
:08:01. > :08:04.The cry for justice has been all about them.
:08:05. > :08:13.I watched from the kitchen window as he walked up the path opposite
:08:14. > :08:18.I waved back and he looked so happy and I thought myself,
:08:19. > :08:20."Will he give me one last wave?
:08:21. > :08:26.I didn't know that would be the last time I would see him.
:08:27. > :08:29.I really do not have the words to express how much I loved and
:08:30. > :08:44.Christian, sportsman, servicemen, family man, worthy citizen.
:08:45. > :08:46.The house was always stocked with his favourite things,
:08:47. > :08:50.cornflakes, Kit Kats, bacon, mushrooms.
:08:51. > :08:57.A habit that proved hard for our mother to even after his death.
:08:58. > :08:59.A habit that proved hard for our mother to break,
:09:00. > :09:04.You simply learn to live with your grief.
:09:05. > :09:17.he went to watch the team he laughed and came home to me in a coffin.
:09:18. > :09:21.Just some of the stories of the 96 and we will hear more during the
:09:22. > :09:24.remainder of the programme. The 27-year Hillsborough story has
:09:25. > :09:26.been marked by reports, inquiries, But the inquests in Warrington were
:09:27. > :09:30.on a different scale altogether. This was a colossal forensic
:09:31. > :09:32.exercise, lasting two years, the longest jury hearing
:09:33. > :09:37.in British legal history. The BBC's Ben Schofield has
:09:38. > :09:40.been in court to hear He's been picking out
:09:41. > :09:44.the key moments and talking I think there may be a slight
:09:45. > :09:55.overflow in the crowd at the Liverpool end,
:09:56. > :09:57.in the Leppings Lane end Two decades after Britain's worst
:09:58. > :10:01.stadium disaster, The referee is going to have to
:10:02. > :10:06.stop the game, there is an overflow
:10:07. > :10:09.behind the goal... My feet weren't touching the floor,
:10:10. > :10:13.and I couldn't breathe. Witnesses spoke of how lives slipped
:10:14. > :10:16.away. I couldn't believe that he died,
:10:17. > :10:19.I remember saying to him over There were claims of failures
:10:20. > :10:31.by the emergency services and admissions of individual regret,
:10:32. > :10:34.including from those at the very top As the court investigated
:10:35. > :10:40.the deaths of the 96, emotion was never far
:10:41. > :10:43.from the surface. The jury heard from more than 500
:10:44. > :10:48.witnesses and were taken through around 4,000 pages of
:10:49. > :10:50.evidence. At times,
:10:51. > :10:52.they were visibly upset A dangerous crush at the turnstiles,
:10:53. > :11:02.police have lost control. The jury was asked if the fans
:11:03. > :11:06.were at fault. Today it ruled the supporters
:11:07. > :11:11.weren't to blame. When police opened exit gates
:11:12. > :11:13.to relieve the crush, One sergeant said he could have
:11:14. > :11:20.prevented the disaster in minutes. All it needed was someone to pass me
:11:21. > :11:23.a message and say, "We're going to open the gate,
:11:24. > :11:27.close the tunnel," and I could have sent one of the PCs
:11:28. > :11:30.back up, The crush at the turnstiles
:11:31. > :11:39.was transferred inside. According to one expert witness,
:11:40. > :11:41.terraces which didn't meet safety standards were packed
:11:42. > :11:45.to twice their safe capacity. Val Yates gave evidence
:11:46. > :11:53.about her experience in Pen 4. I was hanging off someone's arm,
:11:54. > :11:57.like their arm was across my throat, But when I looked,
:11:58. > :12:04.they looked dead to me. David Duckenfield hadn't spoken
:12:05. > :12:07.in a court for more than 20 years. This is where Mr Duckenfield
:12:08. > :12:14.sat as he gave evidence for six During that time,
:12:15. > :12:20.he admitted he made grave mistakes and that his failures directly
:12:21. > :12:25.caused the 96 deaths. And this is where the bereaved
:12:26. > :12:27.families sat to try to take
:12:28. > :12:31.in his evidence. Their silence turned to shock
:12:32. > :12:37.as they heard Mr Duckenfield admit that he had lied about fans
:12:38. > :12:44.forcing their way into the ground. One expert said that the police's
:12:45. > :12:47.reaction was confused Another said the way
:12:48. > :12:52.the Ambulance Service initially A lot of things went wrong that day,
:12:53. > :13:00.and a lot of people didn't do things Former police officer Fiona Nicol
:13:01. > :13:03.witnessed She helped pull 14-year-old
:13:04. > :13:08.Adam Spearritt from Pen 3 and then After giving evidence,
:13:09. > :13:11.she met Adam's family. They thanked you in court
:13:12. > :13:13.through their legal team How can you lose
:13:14. > :13:31.a child, that awful? The jury heard how scores
:13:32. > :13:38.of police officers' reports Among them was Sergeant Crawford's -
:13:39. > :13:46.he wrote that there'd been fewer officers deployed near the tunnel
:13:47. > :13:50.but only found out that paragraph was deleted when he was visited
:13:51. > :13:56.by the police In 2014. I wasn't happy,
:13:57. > :13:58.and I said that at the time It was my observations,
:13:59. > :14:06.my opinion, And it was removed
:14:07. > :14:10.because it was criticism. I felt they were trying to blame
:14:11. > :14:15.and scapegoat us, and if the opportunity had come,
:14:16. > :14:17.they would throw us to the wolves,
:14:18. > :14:20.basically, Senior officers denied
:14:21. > :14:26.there was a cover-up. They said they were acting
:14:27. > :14:29.on legal advice. Today the inquest jury
:14:30. > :14:35.returned its conclusions. Jurors weren't allowed
:14:36. > :14:38.to convict anyone of a crime. The police investigations
:14:39. > :14:39.into Hillsborough Ben Schofield,
:14:40. > :14:56.BBC North West As we heard in that report, the
:14:57. > :15:03.former Chief Superintendent David Duckenfield could now face criminal
:15:04. > :15:05.prosecution. He was the match commander and we have been analysing
:15:06. > :15:11.his fateful decisions that afternoon.
:15:12. > :15:14.A grieving father confronts the former policeman who had just
:15:15. > :15:16.admitted his mistakes caused his son's death.
:15:17. > :15:19.It was an admission Barry Devonside had waited decades to hear.
:15:20. > :15:21.He was gutless, and he was spineless in not coming
:15:22. > :15:29.David Duckenfield was in charge of policing at Hillsborough when 96
:15:30. > :15:34.It isn't only their relatives who have
:15:35. > :15:36.contempt for the retired chief superintendent.
:15:37. > :15:38.I got the feeling that the man was obnoxious,
:15:39. > :15:44.Gary West served almost 30 years with the South Yorkshire force.
:15:45. > :15:47.He now runs a gift shop near Rotherham,
:15:48. > :15:50.but he recalls being a young PC when David Duckenfield first arrived
:15:51. > :15:55.Basically, we were subjected to something
:15:56. > :15:58.like a 20 minute one-way conversation about how
:15:59. > :16:02.it was going to be - it was his way or the highway.
:16:03. > :16:04.Weeks later, this was Gary in the midst
:16:05. > :16:09.96 people went to a football match, they didn't go home.
:16:10. > :16:14.The police should be able to deal with that situation.
:16:15. > :16:16.The layout around the Hillsborough Stadium has changed
:16:17. > :16:22.Back in April 1989, there was a wall running along
:16:23. > :16:28.At the end of the wall were some turnstiles.
:16:29. > :16:31.Such was the pressure at those turnstiles on the day,
:16:32. > :16:34.a senior officer radioed the control box to say someone could be injured
:16:35. > :16:38.or killed unless the pressure was relieved.
:16:39. > :16:40.At around this point in the wall was a gate,
:16:41. > :16:43.David Duckenfield ordered that it should be opened.
:16:44. > :16:46.He did so in order to relieve the pressure outside,
:16:47. > :16:50.but opening the gate created even more and ultimately
:16:51. > :16:57.Opposite Gate C was a tunnel leading directly to the central pens.
:16:58. > :17:00.The pens were already overcrowded, the tunnel should have
:17:01. > :17:06.The fact that the tunnel wasn't sealed off was down
:17:07. > :17:10.to David Duckenfield, as was the decision to open Gate C.
:17:11. > :17:14.But that wasn't the message going out to TV viewers
:17:15. > :17:19.who were witnessing the whole tragedy unfold before their eyes.
:17:20. > :17:24.And the story emerges that one of the outside gates leading to that
:17:25. > :17:30.That was a lie put out by David Duckenfield,
:17:31. > :17:34.a lie he admitted during the inquests in Warrington.
:17:35. > :17:36.He also admitted his failure to close the tunnel led
:17:37. > :17:45.David Duckenfield's role was one among a range issues covered in this
:17:46. > :17:47.David Duckenfield's role was one among a range
:17:48. > :17:50.of issues covered in this
:17:51. > :17:54.questionnaire given to the inquest jurors.
:17:55. > :17:56.It asked them to decide whether the deaths amounted
:17:57. > :18:01.It also asked them to decide whether Mr Duckenfield owed the fans
:18:02. > :18:02.a duty of care and, if so,
:18:03. > :18:05.whether he breached it to the point of gross negligence.
:18:06. > :18:06.But for Barry Devonside, David Duckenfield's contrition
:18:07. > :18:09.during the inquest came far too late.
:18:10. > :18:12.His teenage son Christopher died at Hillsborough.
:18:13. > :18:14.I can never forgive him, because if it was me who made
:18:15. > :18:16.the mistake, I would have said,
:18:17. > :18:18.out of common decency, to all of the families,
:18:19. > :18:19."I'm sorry, I'm so,
:18:20. > :18:23.so sorry for your loss, and I've made the mistake."
:18:24. > :18:26.But he didn't have the moral fibre or common decency to come out
:18:27. > :18:37.Dave Guest, BBC Northwest Tonight.
:18:38. > :18:45.We can talk to Professor Phillips Greatham who was a key part of the
:18:46. > :18:50.independent panel a few years ago which led directly to the inquest.
:18:51. > :19:03.Did the inquest League 2 last two years? -- need to last.
:19:04. > :19:06.If the responsibility was shown that we demonstrated on the panel then
:19:07. > :19:13.the inquest could have been to any less of a time. The longest inquest
:19:14. > :19:19.in legal history, they are their favourite important purpose, but not
:19:20. > :19:27.to try to exonerate themselves the hearings by putting the families
:19:28. > :19:30.through that kind of endurance test. When they tried to blame the
:19:31. > :19:35.supporters, and shift responsibility, debate pick on the
:19:36. > :19:45.wrong city? The wrong supporters? The wrong supporters? The wrongful
:19:46. > :19:49.football club? The feeling within the city, the support within the
:19:50. > :19:54.city, a lot came together that actually assisted the families
:19:55. > :19:59.directly in being able to deal with authority. What was so important, it
:20:00. > :20:04.was not just about picking on the wrong people, they knew from the
:20:05. > :20:09.outset, as I did, as anybody who understood Hillsborough from day
:20:10. > :20:17.one, so many came back to this city with stories of the truth is they
:20:18. > :20:21.saw it. So in that sense, people knew the truth was on their side. It
:20:22. > :20:32.was just so remarkably wrong but it took 27 years. The IPCC is
:20:33. > :20:37.investigating, there is a cruel investigation, is this the end
:20:38. > :20:44.today? No, those investigations will lead to civil and criminal cases and
:20:45. > :20:47.quite rightly so. There is culpability involved, we saw it in
:20:48. > :20:54.the verdict and in the 25 criticisms made of the for it is this morning
:20:55. > :20:57.in the verdict -- criticisms of the authorities.
:20:58. > :21:00.Over the years, some of the mothers who lost children at Hillsborough
:21:01. > :21:04.have been key figures in the fight for justice.
:21:05. > :21:08.Among them is Margaret Aspinall - who's son James was among the 96.
:21:09. > :21:10.Her friend - the actress Sue Johnston -
:21:11. > :21:29.I would like to say to all of you, thank you so much. You have helped
:21:30. > :21:34.to give us a good day today. Without you all, we would not have gotten to
:21:35. > :21:38.where we are. Looking back, did you think that the
:21:39. > :21:46.women you were then could ever become the campaign you are now?
:21:47. > :21:52.Never. From day one, the city stood by us. Without them, I could never
:21:53. > :21:55.have been a campaign. Margaret was a young woman when her
:21:56. > :22:02.son, James, was killed at Hillsborough.
:22:03. > :22:07.The penalty area is full with police and supporters, some of the
:22:08. > :22:13.supporters are lying flat out on the ground and getting attention from
:22:14. > :22:19.the ambulance. You got the urge to start fighting.
:22:20. > :22:29.Somebody showed me the newspaper and I thought, oh my God, they are going
:22:30. > :22:32.to try to blame the fans. We must do something about it, we cannot allow
:22:33. > :22:39.this to happen. Tell me about James.
:22:40. > :22:46.He had a fantastic personality, a wonderful son. We did not have much,
:22:47. > :22:51.although I had in my home was love. I am proud to say that.
:22:52. > :22:56.On the day of the inquest when you heard evidence from the policeman
:22:57. > :23:00.who put his coat over James, that told you that games could have been
:23:01. > :23:04.alive when he threw his coat over him... To put a coat over his face,
:23:05. > :23:14.what chance did he have? Other what chance did he have? Other
:23:15. > :23:18.people must have thought he did. My regret, obviously besides the
:23:19. > :23:23.loss of James, was not being there for my children, watching them grow
:23:24. > :23:27.up. I feel like I neglected them to do what all the families have had to
:23:28. > :23:32.do to keep the campaign going for all of these years. I will not say
:23:33. > :23:38.which one of my children said it, we did not only lose our brother that
:23:39. > :23:46.day, we lost the mum and dad that we knew. I have met some wonderful,
:23:47. > :23:49.ordinary people, who have helped us keep this campaign going. Who have
:23:50. > :23:55.lifted us when we have been on our knees. They helped us to get up. I
:23:56. > :23:57.have seen the good side of human beings. That is the positive from
:23:58. > :24:07.Hillsborough. We thank Margaret very much, a very
:24:08. > :24:29.courageous woman. Sadly another courageous woman who
:24:30. > :24:33.cannot be with us this Anne Williams, she did in 2013, she did
:24:34. > :24:46.see the original verdict quashed, and this was her family today.
:24:47. > :24:50.What we will read about came through. The fans have been
:24:51. > :24:55.vindicated, quite rightly. It is just sad that Anne cannot be here.
:24:56. > :24:57.And there's more of Anne Williams's story,
:24:58. > :24:59.with exclusive access to her family throughout the inquests
:25:00. > :25:22.We are joined by Jenny Hicks and Steve Kelly. Your loss has been
:25:23. > :25:28.enormous, hasn't it? The personal loss, yes. I am no
:25:29. > :25:36.longer a wife and most importantly I am no longer own mother. An enormous
:25:37. > :25:42.personal loss, not just for me but for my girls.
:25:43. > :25:47.Steve, from your point of view, your brother, you have lost along the way
:25:48. > :25:51.also. Someone who would give me advice,
:25:52. > :25:58.someone I would go to, you must all the things that a brother gives you.
:25:59. > :26:06.She has been missed for 27 years and will be sadly missed for the rest of
:26:07. > :26:07.my life. It has been a difficult day of mixed emotions but a triumphant
:26:08. > :26:09.day. For 27 years their campaign slogan -
:26:10. > :26:12.their demand - has been But tonight - in the privacy
:26:13. > :26:22.of their own homes - they'll say to the loved ones
:26:23. > :26:38.they lost at a football match The family have told me all their
:26:39. > :26:45.memories of my father but it is not the same, is it?
:26:46. > :26:51.He first attended football games and Anfield when he was seven. I would
:26:52. > :26:52.put him on my shoulders. I have lovely memories but sadly that is
:26:53. > :26:56.all that is left. Memories. He loved his Diadora trainers,
:26:57. > :26:59.Farah trousers, Lacoste T-shirts and Pringle
:27:00. > :27:01.jumpers. It did not occur to me
:27:02. > :27:04.that he could have died. I remember fussing over him,
:27:05. > :27:07.making his hair look nice I thought that if I could put him
:27:08. > :27:12.to bed and warm him up, I would hope he would understand
:27:13. > :27:19.that I have to talk about him because,
:27:20. > :27:21.you see, My brother's life is like a book
:27:22. > :27:31.that had a title, it described the characters,
:27:32. > :27:33.set the scene, and then someone ripped out
:27:34. > :28:04.the rest of the pages. Temperatures were up and down
:28:05. > :28:05.through the day