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| Hillsborough family criticises Met chief over IPCC claim Hillsborough family criticises Met chief over IPCC claim | |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| Britain’s most senior police officer is facing further criticism in relation to the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, after he stated last week that he has been found to have “done nothing wrong” on the day, in which 96 people died. | Britain’s most senior police officer is facing further criticism in relation to the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, after he stated last week that he has been found to have “done nothing wrong” on the day, in which 96 people died. |
| Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, the Metropolitan police commissioner, made the comments when responding to a report from the Independent Police Complaints Commission, whose investigation remains ongoing into how 96 people were unlawfully killed. | Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, the Metropolitan police commissioner, made the comments when responding to a report from the Independent Police Complaints Commission, whose investigation remains ongoing into how 96 people were unlawfully killed. |
| The IPCC is expected to send files to the Crown Prosecution Service in the new year in relation to possible manslaughter and other offences for the 96 deaths, and potential perjury and perverting the course of justice by South Yorkshire police officers in the alleged cover-up that followed. | The IPCC is expected to send files to the Crown Prosecution Service in the new year in relation to possible manslaughter and other offences for the 96 deaths, and potential perjury and perverting the course of justice by South Yorkshire police officers in the alleged cover-up that followed. |
| The IPCC last week cleared Hogan-Howe of misconduct, but said he could have been “more diligent” when he gave a misleading account in 2012 and 2013 about the evidence he provided following the disaster. An inspector in the South Yorkshire police at the time, Hogan-Howe had said that he gave a full statement to the official Taylor inquiry in 1989, then declined to add to it when asked to by another officer, but that was untrue; he had never made a full statement. | The IPCC last week cleared Hogan-Howe of misconduct, but said he could have been “more diligent” when he gave a misleading account in 2012 and 2013 about the evidence he provided following the disaster. An inspector in the South Yorkshire police at the time, Hogan-Howe had said that he gave a full statement to the official Taylor inquiry in 1989, then declined to add to it when asked to by another officer, but that was untrue; he had never made a full statement. |
| Paul Spearritt, the brother of Adam, 14 at the time, one of the 96 people to die in the crush at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final, had made two complaints against Hogan-Howe. | Paul Spearritt, the brother of Adam, 14 at the time, one of the 96 people to die in the crush at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final, had made two complaints against Hogan-Howe. |
| He said: “I cannot understand how Mr Hogan-Howe can claim he has been found to have done nothing wrong on the day. The IPCC found he could have been more diligent about his statements – which in my opinion does amount to ‘doing something wrong’ anyway – but he seems to have completely exonerated himself over all his actions, even though the IPCC investigation is continuing.” | He said: “I cannot understand how Mr Hogan-Howe can claim he has been found to have done nothing wrong on the day. The IPCC found he could have been more diligent about his statements – which in my opinion does amount to ‘doing something wrong’ anyway – but he seems to have completely exonerated himself over all his actions, even though the IPCC investigation is continuing.” |
| Hogan-Howe was on duty through the night of the disaster at the Hillsborough boys club, where police kept anxious friends and families waiting for news. Those whose loved ones had died were eventually taken from the boys club to the gymnasium at the Hillsborough football ground, where the dead bodies were kept and which the police had decided would be their CID investigation room. | Hogan-Howe was on duty through the night of the disaster at the Hillsborough boys club, where police kept anxious friends and families waiting for news. Those whose loved ones had died were eventually taken from the boys club to the gymnasium at the Hillsborough football ground, where the dead bodies were kept and which the police had decided would be their CID investigation room. |
| Friends and family have complained they were treated there as culprits, rather than as bereaved people. After identifying a dead person, family members and friends were immediately questioned by South Yorkshire police CID officers about how much they and their loved ones had to drink. | Friends and family have complained they were treated there as culprits, rather than as bereaved people. After identifying a dead person, family members and friends were immediately questioned by South Yorkshire police CID officers about how much they and their loved ones had to drink. |
| The IPCC announced last week that Hogan-Howe was not the officer at the boys club who had read out a list of people found to be “alive and well” that incorrectly included Adam Spearritt, a cause of distress to the family. Paul Spearritt made a complaint that Hogan-Howe may have been the officer who read out the list, but says his family has accepted that the error was made due to flaws in the police system, and the officer who read out the list has not been identified. | The IPCC announced last week that Hogan-Howe was not the officer at the boys club who had read out a list of people found to be “alive and well” that incorrectly included Adam Spearritt, a cause of distress to the family. Paul Spearritt made a complaint that Hogan-Howe may have been the officer who read out the list, but says his family has accepted that the error was made due to flaws in the police system, and the officer who read out the list has not been identified. |
| Following these two specific findings announced by the IPCC, the Metropolitan police issued a statement for Hogan-Howe last week, in which he said: “I am pleased that this independent investigation has concluded that I did nothing wrong, in relation to both statements I gave to the media and my conduct on the day of the disaster.“Importantly, I hope that this investigation provides some comfort to the family of Adam Spearritt, who died that tragic day.” | Following these two specific findings announced by the IPCC, the Metropolitan police issued a statement for Hogan-Howe last week, in which he said: “I am pleased that this independent investigation has concluded that I did nothing wrong, in relation to both statements I gave to the media and my conduct on the day of the disaster.“Importantly, I hope that this investigation provides some comfort to the family of Adam Spearritt, who died that tragic day.” |
| Paul Spearritt said the family drew no comfort at all from the investigation, and is still awaiting the results of the IPCC investigation into the boys club, gymnasium and identification process. | Paul Spearritt said the family drew no comfort at all from the investigation, and is still awaiting the results of the IPCC investigation into the boys club, gymnasium and identification process. |
| “The operation at the boys club was terrible for family and friends, and seems clearly to have been linked to what the police were doing and preparing to do at the gymnasium,” Paul Spearritt said. “We have been told this is all being thoroughly investigated, and nobody has been cleared yet.” | “The operation at the boys club was terrible for family and friends, and seems clearly to have been linked to what the police were doing and preparing to do at the gymnasium,” Paul Spearritt said. “We have been told this is all being thoroughly investigated, and nobody has been cleared yet.” |
| Asked for clarification, a spokeswoman for the Metropolitan police said: “The commissioner was talking in the context of the complaints made against him specifically.” | Asked for clarification, a spokeswoman for the Metropolitan police said: “The commissioner was talking in the context of the complaints made against him specifically.” |