This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/apr/22/hillsborough-inquest-father-guilty-failing-save-son
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Hillsborough inquest hears how father felt guilty for failing to save son | Hillsborough inquest hears how father felt guilty for failing to save son |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A father who tried to save his 14-year-old son in the fatal crush at Hillsborough football ground in 1989 always felt guilty afterwards that his son had died, the inquest into the disaster has heard. | A father who tried to save his 14-year-old son in the fatal crush at Hillsborough football ground in 1989 always felt guilty afterwards that his son had died, the inquest into the disaster has heard. |
| Eddie Spearritt and his son Adam were in a central "pen" of the Leppings Lane terrace of the Sheffield Wednesday ground to watch the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. Eddie had been holding Adam in his arms after the teenager became unconscious in the crush, but then lost consciousness himself. He woke up injured in hospital the following day to be told Adam had died. | |
| "Adam and Eddie were friends as well as father and son, and Eddie struggled to forgive himself for not saving Adam. He would say it was his job to protect Adam and he failed," Janet Spearritt, Eddie's widow, said in a personal statement to the jury, accompanied by their other sons, Paul and Daniel. | "Adam and Eddie were friends as well as father and son, and Eddie struggled to forgive himself for not saving Adam. He would say it was his job to protect Adam and he failed," Janet Spearritt, Eddie's widow, said in a personal statement to the jury, accompanied by their other sons, Paul and Daniel. |
| Eddie became a consistent campaigner with other bereaved Hillsborough families against the original 1990-91 inquest, which was quashed in December 2012. | Eddie became a consistent campaigner with other bereaved Hillsborough families against the original 1990-91 inquest, which was quashed in December 2012. |
| "Sadly Eddie died three years ago, without knowing that his efforts in helping to fight for a new inquest were coming to fruition," Janet said in her statement on Tuesday. | "Sadly Eddie died three years ago, without knowing that his efforts in helping to fight for a new inquest were coming to fruition," Janet said in her statement on Tuesday. |
| Guilt felt by some survivors was also referred to in the statement by Linda Kirby about her husband, David Rimmer, who died at Hillsborough aged 38, leaving a nine-year-old son, Paul, and seven-year-old daughter, Kate. Rimmer's best friend, with whom he always went to watch Liverpool play, had gone to Hillsborough with him, she said. | Guilt felt by some survivors was also referred to in the statement by Linda Kirby about her husband, David Rimmer, who died at Hillsborough aged 38, leaving a nine-year-old son, Paul, and seven-year-old daughter, Kate. Rimmer's best friend, with whom he always went to watch Liverpool play, had gone to Hillsborough with him, she said. |
| "He just about survived it, but he will never be the same, because he feels guilty for surviving." | "He just about survived it, but he will never be the same, because he feels guilty for surviving." |
| Describing her husband as a devoted father who was involved with the cub scouts and had worked his way up, after leaving school at 16, to become a sales manager, Kirby said that when he died "just like that, everything was gone". | Describing her husband as a devoted father who was involved with the cub scouts and had worked his way up, after leaving school at 16, to become a sales manager, Kirby said that when he died "just like that, everything was gone". |
| "When I received the [Hillsborough] independent panel's report I felt as though Dave's soul was on the way to being at peace at last," she told the jury of seven women and four men. "Hopefully the truth will be fully revealed and he will be at peace." | "When I received the [Hillsborough] independent panel's report I felt as though Dave's soul was on the way to being at peace at last," she told the jury of seven women and four men. "Hopefully the truth will be fully revealed and he will be at peace." |
| Bereaved family members read statements about seven more of the 96 people who were killed at Hillsborough, bringing to 54 the number of victims who have so far been described, over six days of proceedings at the inquest in Warrington. | Bereaved family members read statements about seven more of the 96 people who were killed at Hillsborough, bringing to 54 the number of victims who have so far been described, over six days of proceedings at the inquest in Warrington. |
| Two other teenagers, Philip Hammond, 14, who like Adam Spearritt was at his first ever away Liverpool match, and Carl Brown, 18, were remembered by their mothers. Two young men in their twenties, Thomas Fox, known by his middle name Steve, was 21 when he died, and David Thomas, 23. The four other victims who were remembered were Raymond Chapman, 50, Eric Hughes, 42, Vincent Fitzsimmons, 34, and David Rimmer. They were fathers whose now grown up children wrote of their love for them, and their devastation at their death. | |
| Craig Fitzsimmons, who was nine when his father died, recalled how his dad had helped him with his homework and "tried his hardest" to get him a ticket for the match at Hillsborough, but been unable to. Craig's voice cracked as he told the inquest how his father had missed his wedding and the birth of his child. | |
| "I suppose I have never really got over the fact that I lost my dad so suddenly and in such an awful way. I have missed his love, support and advice over the years." | |
| David Hughes, who was 17 when his father, a life assurance salesman, died, travelled all over the country to support Liverpool with him, including seven trips to Wembley. | |
| "My dad meant everything to me; he was my hero. I idolised him," he said. | |
| "I never even got to buy my dad a pint." | |
| Raymond Chapman, a machine setter for Champions spark plugs on the Wirral and father to a son, Andrew, and daughter, Karen, was described as caring and considerate. He had almost missed the match, but was given a ticket for the semi-final shortly before the match. | |
| "My lovely husband went out on a sunny morning to meet his mates so they could go and watch Liverpool play," his widow, Joan, told the jury. "He travelled to Hillsborough with four friends. Only two came back." | |
| Thomas "Steve" Fox, who worked at a Cadbury's chocolate factory, had escaped a serious accident while riding his moped, his mother, Brenda, said, and after that, he always carried an organ donor card in his wallet. |