Anyone who watched cycling on Eurosport during the 1990s and 2000s. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. The verdict came in a retrial at Preston crown court that began on 7 October. Duffield was born in Wolverhampton into a family of four children; his mother was a nurse, his father an architect. Duckenfield was charged in relation to only 95 of the people who died. He was found to have lied on four separate occasions about his role in the deaths and when he claimed he never blamed Liverpool supporters for the disaster. Recent claims have included cases involving serious . Former police officer David Duckenfield is facing manslaughter charges over the deaths of 95 people in the 1989 Hillsborough Disaster. 8 April 2022 8 Apr 2022. "The journey that reached today's stage, and will continue, is testament to the perseverance and determination of all involved in the ongoing campaign for justice," the club said. Hillsborough match commander David Duckenfield has been found not guilty of the gross negligence manslaughter of 95 Liverpool fans in the 1989 disaster. Duckenfield started his professional career as a U.S. Foreign Service Officer with the United States Information Agency (USIA), serving in Mexico City and Bogota, Colombia as press and cultural affairs attach. He wasn't charged over the death of the . David Duckenfield arriving at Preston crown court during his trial. Answering questions from Mansfield, Duckenfield said, however, that he did believe Liverpool fans turned up late and drunk to the match, and that Merseyside police failed to tell the South Yorkshire force that Liverpool fans were in the habit of doing that. Duckenfield then gave the order to open the gates. But a turning point came on the 20th anniversary of the crush, when Labour minister Andy Burnham was booed and heckled after speaking to thousands of fans gathered at Anfield. 64.91.240.67 Last modified on Sun 1 Dec 2019 01.26 EST D avid Duckenfield can finally rest easily. He described the policing outside the Leppings Lane turnstiles, where Duckenfield accepted the South Yorkshire police lost control at 2:40pm, as non-existent or shambolic at best. While at State, Duckenfield also led the Departments efforts to engage with Americans and global audiences on the administrations policy changes towards Cuba announced on December 17, 2014 by President Obama. The police officer had joined South Yorkshire Police as a cadet at the age of 16, been appointed a constable in 1963 and rapidly rose through the ranks. He said he had post traumatic stress disorder, and hid myself away and could not bear the word Hillsborough after the report was published, but then said he had begun to face the truth two years ago, with the help of doctors. The defendant's conduct must fall so far below the standard to be expected of a reasonably competent and careful person in the defendant's position, that it was something truly, exceptionally bad. Her adult life has been dominated by the quest to find the truth about her father and gain justice for him. I suspect, however, that the lynch mob is working on their noose tying as I type. Sue Hemming, head of the Crown Prosecution Services special crime division, said the charge could not relate to the 96th victim of the disaster, Anthony Bland, as he died almost four years later. Its 2012 report decried the blame wrongly attributed to fans, causing Prime Minister David Cameron to apologise for the double injustice in the House of Commons. David Duckenfield, who is now 75, has been on trial accused of causing the deaths of 95 Liverpool fans who died at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final in Sheffield - the UK's worst sporting disaster. Duckenfield's role on the day was match commander. The CPS spokeswoman said: "The disaster at Hillsborough 30 years ago has caused unimaginable suffering to the families of those who sadly lost their lives and to everybody affected by the tragic events of that day. It took some tortuous legal logic to create a courtroom environment where this could be allowed to happen. Well, who better to break it down for us than the woman who coined the term and introduced it and the whole method to TikTok: NYC-based dermatologist and our good friend Dr. Whitney Bowe. Another attempt came in 2006 when Anne Williams, whose 15-year-old son Kevin died in the disaster, submitted a case that was thrown out by the European Court of Justice. Why should anyone care about Hillsborough? He inspired at least one devoted fan site, We Love David Duffield, and drew the attention of the Guardians former sport TV critic Martin Kelner, who wrote: Forget the riders, what is David Duffield on? Duffield, he wrote, had been covering bike racing since the birth of the Eurosport channel, and expects any day now to complete his first sentence. The families of the 96 Liverpool fans who died at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final, the survivors who managed to get out of the overcrowded pens at the Leppings Lane end of Sheffield Wednesdays ground, and the campaigners who have fought relentlessly for justice for decades were expecting the verdict. Paul Robinson, whose brother Steven was killed in the stadium crush, said: "As a family we would like to thank all those who have supported us over the years in our quest for justice and accountability. Duckenfield was charged in June 2017 after a new police investigation into the disaster, Operation Resolve, and verdicts of unlawful killing returned by the jury in an inquest in 2014-16 in Warrington. noun. On the day of the tragedy, Duckenfield, now 72, was working as match commander for the game between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at the Sheffield Wednesday stadium. The 90-day inquest resulted in a verdict of accidental death being returned by nine to two. Those systems failed on 15 April, 1989, and no one will ever take responsibility for that failure. David Duckenfield retrial. Mansfield said: But this isnt what happened on this day, this wasnt fans turning up late, having got into a drunken state, was it?, Duckenfield responded: I will have to disagree., Pressed on whether he had received any information in the buildup to the match that fans turned up drunk and late, he replied: I cant recall, sir.. Matthews told the jury at Preston crown court that at 2.52pm Duckenfield had ordered gate C, a large exit gate, to be opened to relieve a crush of people with tickets to support Liverpool that had built up at the 23 Leppings Lane turnstiles. Barry Devonside, whose son Christopher, 18, died in the disaster, said: "I'm shocked and stunned by the verdict of the jury. The court heard that at the match on 15 April 1989, a backlog built up at the turnstiles after the police, under Duckenfields command, did not manage fans approach with filters or cordons. Something I'm not very proud of. Get email updates with the day's biggest stories. The jury at Mr Duckenfield's original trial earlier this year failed to agree a verdict. As Dr. Bowe explains it, "With skin cycling, you cycle through your skincare routine in a very deliberate way that drives results to get glowing, radiant skin. David Duckenfield, who is now 75, has been on trial accused of causing the deaths of 95 Liverpool fans who died at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final in Sheffield - the UK's worst sporting disaster. Timeline of the Hillsborough stadium disaster. It is hard to comprehend how the relatives have maintained their dignity in the face of numerous disappointments and crass treatment from the authorities. . 67% The verdict defies logic. We need to be able to trust the emergency services and the systems that are set up to protect the populace. A first trial on the same charge, heard by the same judge, Sir Peter Openshaw, ended on 3 April with the jury unable to reach a verdict. The events of 15 April 1989 have been considered on a number of occasions, including at the second inquest concluding in 2016. I feel David Duckenfield should face charges. Go to. We will allege that David Duckenfields failures to discharge his personal responsibility were extraordinarily bad and contributed substantially to the deaths of each of those 96 people who so tragically and unnecessarily lost their lives, she said. Peter Metcalf, the solicitor acting for the South Yorkshire Police during the Taylor Inquiry and the first inquests - charged with doing acts with intent to pervert the course of justice relating to changes made to witness statements. The pair would introduce the riders at the start and keep crowds informed as the race unfolded at the Milk Race from a car along the route before talking in the finish. Under the rules governing inquests, Duckenfield could not be named on Tuesday when the jury found that the 96 had been unlawfully killed. The prosecution case, Matthews said, is that as the senior officer in command, Duckenfield bore personal responsibility for the failings, in the face of what was both a serious and obvious risk of death. I feel David Duckenfield should face charges. The new inquest concluded in April last year, finding that 96 Liverpool fans were unlawfully killed and exonerated the victims of any wrongdoing. Yet this was not a doddery septuagenarian being persecuted inappropriately for actions long buried in the past. Several people whose family members died at Hillsborough in 1989 walked out of the new inquests into the disaster as the former policeman who commanded the FA Cup semi-final tried to explain why he had not told the truth for 26 years, and apologised again to them. David Duffield, sports commentator, born 20 May 1931; died 21 February 2016, Eccentric cycling commentator who worked for Eurosport across two decades, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. "We, the families, have fought for 30 years valiantly.". "We say that is unfair, there are so many other people at fault, and so many causes," the barrister added. Tony Bland, the 96th fatality, remained on life support for four years. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. $145k AVERAGE INCOME Our wealth data indicates income average is $145k. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}, Former chief superintendent David Duckenfield in 1989 (), Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher tours Hillsborough stadium with David Duckenfield (on her left) after the Hillsborough football disaster (), Liverpool fans try and pull their fellow supporters out of the crush at Hillsborough stadium, 15 April 1989. In that capacity, he led the 2015 U.S. Delegation to APEC Senior Officials Meeting on city development and urbanization in Cebu, Philippines, and was the department liaison with U.S. mayors and governors at the 2015 U.S. China Leaders Climate Summit in Los Angeles and at the 2015 COP21 Global Climate Summit in Paris, France. Up to 2,000 fans entered Gate C, with many heading straight for a tunnel in front of them - which Mr Duckenfield had not ordered to be closed - and then on to the already full central pens on the. Mr Duckenfield has been a key focus of repeated investigations and inquiries into the Hillsborough disaster, as survivors and families of the victims fought a gruelling 28-year battle for justice. They were even more appalled when Openshaw called the defendant a poor chap after Duckenfield was forced to go to hospital with a suspected chest infection. 15 April 1989, a date that will forever symbolise one of the darkest hours in Liverpool FC's history. Norman Bettison, a former officer with South Yorkshire Police and subsequently Chief Constable of Merseyside and West Yorkshire Police - who faces four offences of misconduct in a public office over alleged lies in accounts of his involvement in the 1989 disaster. Duckenfield received a MA in Latin American Studies and International Economics from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C.; earned a BA in History from Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire; and graduated from Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. Duckenfield had told them "an untruth", he said. Even had to stop commuting to London. He acknowledged that even after he said he realised, at 3:04pm on the day, that he was facing a medical emergency not an incident of disorder, he called for police dogs to come to the ground, not ambulances. Each of the suspects will be given court dates as criminal proceedings begin. Despite the terrible consequences, he should not be prosecuted for this error. Sir Peter Openshaw, the judge, told the jury that the inquests findings which were not discussed in court were quite irrelevant. After beginning working life at White Advertising in Birmingham, he was conscripted rising to the rank of sergeant in the army but more importantly was introduced to cycling by a fellow soldier. There has been barely any for those who were mindbogglingly inept at Hillsborough. After Duckenfield mentioned the contribution in the police control room of Bernard Murray, who was a superintendent but has since died, Menon asked him if he was seeking to blame other people. Duckenfield, who lives in Dorset, joined South Yorkshire Police as a cadet aged 16, and was appointed a police constable in 1963. That sets the bar very high for the prosecution. Duckenfield said he had watched a video about the disaster, including footage of a mother having to cuddle her dead child on the dirty floor of the Hillsborough gymnasium, which the police used as a mortuary that day. He was asked whether he thought over the last 26 years about the bereaved families, who according to their barrister, Rajiv Menon QC waged a courageous and unrelenting campaign that culminated in 2012 with the quashing of the first inquests. The question Id like to ask all of you and people within the system is: who put 96 people in their graves? The latest breaking news, comment and features from The Independent. Log in or register to join the conversation. ERIC is an online library of education research and information, sponsored by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) of the U.S. Department of Education. Hillsborough match commander David Duckenfield, who is accused of the manslaughter by gross negligence of 95 Liverpool supporters at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final, arriving Preston Crown Court. On the same day, Theresa May announced a new criminal probe to investigate all of the people and organisations involved - before, on, and after the disaster. More than 2,000 fans then entered through exit gate C, with many heading for the tunnel ahead of them, which led to the central pens of the terrace where the crush happened. Duckenfields ordeal ended at Preston crown court on Thursday. What he did not say was that he had given an order to open the gates, said Richard Matthews QC, opening the case for the prosecution. David Duckenfield, a Police Chief Superintendent, who has been accused of the death of 96 people in the tragic incident of the Hillsborough disaster, was found not guilty in charge of manslaughter. The matchday commander at Hillsborough was found not guilty of gross negligence manslaughter charges pertaining to his role in the football disaster 30 years ago. The law in 1989 provided that no criminal charge of causing a persons death could be brought if the victim died longer than a year and a day after the acts alleged to have caused it. 2023 BBC. The seven women and. 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