Hillsborough inquests: Fans unlawfully killed, jury concludes

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Breaking news - Released today... 4/26/2016

27 Years Later

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-36138337


The inquests conclude that the 96 football fans at Hillsborough were unlawfully killed
• The jury had to answer 14 questions about the cause of the 1989 disaster
• Jurors decided police error caused or contributed to a dangerous situation
• They found the behaviour of Liverpool fans did not contribute to the dangerous situation at the turnstiles


QUESTION 14: Emergency response and the role of South Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service (SYMAS)

Posted at 05:24

After the crush in the west terrace had begun to develop, was there any error or omission by the ambulance service (SYMAS) which caused or contributed to the loss of lives in the disaster?

Yes or no.

Yes.

SYMAS failed to ascertain the nature of the problem at Leppings Lane. The failure to recognise and call a major incident led to delays in response to the emergency.





QUESTION 13: Emergency response and the role of South Yorkshire Police

Posted at 05:22


After the crush in the West Terrace had begun to develop, was there any error or omission by the police which caused or contributed to the loss of lives in the disaster?

Yes or no.

Yes.

Police delayed to call major incident - it meant appropriate emergency response was delayed.





QUESTION 12: Conduct of Eastwood & Partners (SWFC engineers)

Posted at 05:21

Should Eastwood & Partners have done more to detect and advise on any unsafe or unsatisfactory features of the stadium which caused or contributed to the disaster?

Yes or no.

Yes.

Eastwood & Partners, the club’s consultant engineers, did not make their own calculations when they became consultants for the club. Therefore the initial capacity figures and all subsequent calculations were incorrect.

Eastwood & Partners failed to recalculate capacity figures each time changes were made to the terraces. It failed to update the safety certificate after 1986.





QUESTION 11: Conduct of Sheffield Wednesday FC on the day of the match

Posted at 05:19


Was there any error or omission by SWFC and its staff on 15 April 1989 which caused or contributed to the dangerous situation that developed at the Leppings Lane turnstiles and in the west terrace?

Yes or no.

No.

Was there any error or omission by SWFC and its staff on 15 April 1989 which may have caused or contributed to the dangerous situation that developed at the Leppings Lane turnstiles and in the west terrace?

Yes or no.

Yes.

Club officials were aware huge number of fans were still outside the ground at 2.40 and should have requested delay in kick-off.






QUESTION 10: Conduct of Sheffield Wednesday FC before the day of the match

Posted at 05:18


Was there any error or omission by SWFC and its staff in the management of the stadium and/or preparation for the semi final match on 15 April 1989 which caused or contributed to the dangerous situation which developed on the day of the match?

Yes or no.

Yes -

The club did not approve the plans for dedicated turnstiles for each pen. The club did not agree any contingency plans with the police. There was inadequate signage and inadequate and misleading information on the tickets.





QUESTION 9: Licensing and oversight of the stadium

Posted at 05:16


Was there any error or omission in the safety certification and oversight of Hillsborough Stadium that caused or contributed to the disaster?

Yes or no.

Yes.

Safety certificate never amended to reflect changes to Leppings Lane end of stadium.





QUESTION 8: Defects in Hillsborough stadium

Posted at 05:15


Were there any features of the design, construction and layout of the stadium which you consider were dangerous or defective and which caused or contributed to the disaster?

Yes or no.

Yes


Fans were contained in pens and separated from the pitch by steel fences

Design and layout of the crush barriers in pens 3 and 4 were not fully compliant with the Green Guide. The removal of barrier 144 and the partial removal of barrier 136 would have exacerbated the waterfall effect of pressure towards the front of the pens. The lack of dedicated turnstiles for individual pens meant that capacities could not be monitored. There were too few turnstiles for a capacity crowd. Signage to the side pens was inadequate.





QUESTION 7: Behaviour of the supporters

Posted at 05:14


Was there any behaviour on the part of the football supporters which caused or contributed to the dangerous situation at the Leppings Lane turnstiles?

Yes or no.

No.

Was there any behaviour on the part of the football supporters which may have caused or contributed to the dangerous situation at the Leppings Lane turnstiles?

Yes or no.

No.



QUESTION 6: Determination on unlawful killing issue

Posted at 05:13

Are you satisfied, so that you are sure, that those who died in the disaster were unlawfully killed?

Yes or no.

Yes



QUESTION 5: The opening of the gates

Posted at 05:12


When the order was given to open the exit gates at the Leppings Lane end of the stadium, was there any error or omission by the commanding officers in the control box which caused or contributed to the crush on the terrace?

Yes or no.

Yes.

Commanding officers did not inform officers in the inner concourse prior to the opening of Gate C. Commanding Officers failed to consider where fans would go. Commanding officers failed to order the closure of the central tunnel prior to the opening of gate C.




QUESTION 4: Policing of the match and the crush on the terrace

Posted at 05:11


Was there any error or omission by commanding officers which caused or contributed to the crush on the terrace?

Yes or no.

Yes

Commanding officers should have ordered closing of central tunnel.





QUESTION 3: Policing of the match and the situation at the turnstiles

Posted at 05:10

Was there any error or omission in policing on the day of the match which caused or contributed to a dangerous situation developing at the Leppings Lane turnstiles?

Yes or no.

Yes.

Police response to the increasing crowd at Leppings Lane was slow and uncoordinated. The road closure and sweep of fans exacerbated the situation. No filter cordons were place. No contingency plans were made for the sudden arrival of a large number of fans.

Attempts to close the perimeter gates were made too late.


A plan to redesign the turnstiles at the Leppings Lane end was discussed five years before the disaster.





QUESTION 2: Police planning for the semi-final match

Posted at 05:09


Was there any error or omission in police planning or preparation for the semi-final match on 15 April 1989 which caused or contributed to the dangerous situation that developed on the day of the match?

Yes or no

Yes

The jury feels there were major omissions in 1989 operational order





QUESTION 1: Basic facts of the disaster

Posted at 05:08


Do you agree with the following statement which is intended to summarise the basic facts of the Disaster:

“Ninety-six people died as a result of the Disaster at Hillsborough Stadium on 15 April 1989 due to crushing in the central pens of the Leppings Lane terrace, following the admission of a large number of supporters to the Stadium through exit gates.”

Yes.

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