“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. That, and other “reprehensible and exceptionally bad” failings were “a significant cause” of the deaths from the lethal crush that developed in pens 3 and 4, Matthews told the court. He went on to say that Duckenfield had agreed it was a mistake at 2.30pm, when the turnstiles crush was building, not to have have taken steps to find out how many people had yet to enter the ground. Duckenfield, 75, is charged with the manslaughter, by gross negligence, of 95 of the people killed. His barrister, Benjamin Myers QC, will make an opening speech in his defence on Monday, when the trial continues.

Source: The Guardian October 11, 2019 16:52 UTC