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Hillsborough sergeant says he ‘could have closed tunnel’ to crowded pens Hillsborough sergeant says he ‘could have closed tunnel’ to crowded pens
(about 1 hour later)
A South Yorkshire police officer on duty at the Hillsborough football ground in 1989 has said he could have prevented people going into already overcrowded pens on the Leppings Lane terrace, but senior officers gave no warning they were going to open an exit gate and let large numbers of people in.A South Yorkshire police officer on duty at the Hillsborough football ground in 1989 has said he could have prevented people going into already overcrowded pens on the Leppings Lane terrace, but senior officers gave no warning they were going to open an exit gate and let large numbers of people in.
William Crawford, then a sergeant policing inside the Leppings Lane turnstile area, gave his evidence at the inquest into the deaths of 96 Liverpool supporters in the lethal crush which developed on those central pens at the FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest. He said that at the previous year’s FA Cup semi-final, between the same two clubs, as well as other matches, the tunnel leading to the central pens had been closed with large doors when they were full.William Crawford, then a sergeant policing inside the Leppings Lane turnstile area, gave his evidence at the inquest into the deaths of 96 Liverpool supporters in the lethal crush which developed on those central pens at the FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest. He said that at the previous year’s FA Cup semi-final, between the same two clubs, as well as other matches, the tunnel leading to the central pens had been closed with large doors when they were full.
At the 1989 semi-final, a crush developed outside the turnstiles as fans found it impossible to get into the ground. The jury has heard that the South Yorkshire police officer in charge, Ch Supt David Duckenfield, ordered the large exit gate to be opened to relieve the crush outside, and allow many people to enter at once.At the 1989 semi-final, a crush developed outside the turnstiles as fans found it impossible to get into the ground. The jury has heard that the South Yorkshire police officer in charge, Ch Supt David Duckenfield, ordered the large exit gate to be opened to relieve the crush outside, and allow many people to enter at once.
Crawford said he received no warning from the police control room that the gate was going to be opened, either in person or on the police radios, which by that time, were “completely useless”. Had he had such a warning, he said, he could have closed the tunnel to the central pens, and directed supporters to the side parts of the terrace, which were less full.Crawford said he received no warning from the police control room that the gate was going to be opened, either in person or on the police radios, which by that time, were “completely useless”. Had he had such a warning, he said, he could have closed the tunnel to the central pens, and directed supporters to the side parts of the terrace, which were less full.
“I don’t think I would have had difficulty, if I’d had prior warning,” Crawford told the inquest.“I don’t think I would have had difficulty, if I’d had prior warning,” Crawford told the inquest.
Asked by Jonathan Hough, counsel to the inquest, whether he was saying he could have closed off the tunnel had he been informed the gate was going to be opened, or that he would have done so, Crawford replied: “I think I would have done, yes sir.”Asked by Jonathan Hough, counsel to the inquest, whether he was saying he could have closed off the tunnel had he been informed the gate was going to be opened, or that he would have done so, Crawford replied: “I think I would have done, yes sir.”
Crawford said the senior police officers in the control box at Hillsborough had “a full view” of the terraces, and that “I would have expected a warning from them”.Crawford said the senior police officers in the control box at Hillsborough had “a full view” of the terraces, and that “I would have expected a warning from them”.
When the gate was opened and the Liverpool supporters were allowed in, the tunnel was the only place they would go, Crawford said, because it was “exactly in front” of the exit gate. Several minutes after the gate was opened, he said he was told to go inside the ground because there was a pitch invasion. However when he arrived in front of the Leppings Lane terrace’s central pens, he found “complete chaos” and piles of what he realised were dead bodies.When the gate was opened and the Liverpool supporters were allowed in, the tunnel was the only place they would go, Crawford said, because it was “exactly in front” of the exit gate. Several minutes after the gate was opened, he said he was told to go inside the ground because there was a pitch invasion. However when he arrived in front of the Leppings Lane terrace’s central pens, he found “complete chaos” and piles of what he realised were dead bodies.
The inquest heard earlier from a mounted South Yorkshire police constable, David Scott, who was on duty outside Hillsborough, and gave evidence that Liverpool supporters were drinking and were abusive to him. Scott said he had walked his horse along a bridge where there were lots of cans of beer. “I literally was knocking empty and full cans of beer and alcohol over the bridge into the river,” he told the jury. The inquest was shown a copy of Crawford’s original 1989 statement about the disaster, in which he said that he thought the police had been “very light on manpower” at the Leppings Lane end compared to the 1988 semi-final. Crawford had also written: “Normally we have had a serial [of police officers] at the centre tunnel to direct fans to the north or south pens when the centre pens had been filled. This was not the case at this match and several of my serial remarked on this.”
Hough showed the jury that in the final version of Crawford’s statement, which was put to the official 1989 inquiry by Lord Justice Taylor, that section had been deleted. Crawford said he had not known it had been deleted at the time; in fact he had been unaware of the deletion until he was interviewed by Operation Resolve, the new IPCC-managed police investigation into the disaster, more than 24 years later, in October last year. He said if he had been told it was going to be removed: “I would have queried it and disagreed. I would have insisted it remained.”
Asked by Mark George QC, representing 22 families who lost relatives at Hillsborough, if “whoever made the decision to take out” that section and “doctored” the statement was misleading Taylor’s inquiry, Crawford replied: “That’s a possibility.”
Crawford agreed with George that the failure to close the tunnel after the exit gate had been opened, to direct supporters away from the overcrowded pens of the terrace, “can properly be described as a catastrophic error”. Crawford said it was important his observations were included in the statement, and when he was told that they had been deleted: “I wasn’t very happy.”
He said the general opinion in the force was that Ch Supt David Duckenfield, who was appointed to take charge of the semi-final 19 days earlier having never commanded a match at Hillsborough before, was “out of his depth”. Crawford said he believed it was not Duckenfield’s fault, but that: “The person who put him in that position is responsible.” The inquest heard earlier from a mounted South Yorkshire police constable, David Scott, who was on duty outside Hillsborough, and gave evidence that Liverpool supporters were drinking and were abusive to him. Scott said he had walked his horse along a bridge where there were lots of cans of beer. “I literally was knocking empty and full cans of beer and alcohol over the bridge into the river,” he told the jury.
Scott, who had a stroke in 2012 which left him with depression and affected his memory, was questioned in a limited way by barristers for the bereaved families. Mark George QC, for 21 families, put to Scott that he had “exaggerated” the Liverpool fans’ behaviour: “No, far from it; I beg to differ,” Scott answered.Scott, who had a stroke in 2012 which left him with depression and affected his memory, was questioned in a limited way by barristers for the bereaved families. Mark George QC, for 21 families, put to Scott that he had “exaggerated” the Liverpool fans’ behaviour: “No, far from it; I beg to differ,” Scott answered.
Peter Silcock QC, representing 75 families, asked Scott why he did not make notes about the disaster in his official police notebook at the time, and waited until 28 April 1989, 13 days after the disaster, to make a statement on plain paper. Silcock asked him if that was “as soon as reasonably practicable” after the events of the day. Scott replied: “I am a mere minion in a large chain.”Peter Silcock QC, representing 75 families, asked Scott why he did not make notes about the disaster in his official police notebook at the time, and waited until 28 April 1989, 13 days after the disaster, to make a statement on plain paper. Silcock asked him if that was “as soon as reasonably practicable” after the events of the day. Scott replied: “I am a mere minion in a large chain.”
Asked if he could not have made notes at any time before 13 days later, Scott replied: “Following orders, sir.”Asked if he could not have made notes at any time before 13 days later, Scott replied: “Following orders, sir.”
In October last year, questioned by Operation Resolve, the new IPCC-managed police investigation into the disaster, Scott criticised the lack of a police cordon to filter fans to the Leppings Lane turnstiles, the level of police resources, and said horses could have been deployed better. Asked by Silcock why he had not expressed any of those criticisms in his original statement, but “cast blame” on the supporters, and whether he had been told by senior officers to do so, Scott replied: “No, we were under no duress whatsoever as to what to put in our statements.”In October last year, questioned by Operation Resolve, the new IPCC-managed police investigation into the disaster, Scott criticised the lack of a police cordon to filter fans to the Leppings Lane turnstiles, the level of police resources, and said horses could have been deployed better. Asked by Silcock why he had not expressed any of those criticisms in his original statement, but “cast blame” on the supporters, and whether he had been told by senior officers to do so, Scott replied: “No, we were under no duress whatsoever as to what to put in our statements.”
The inquest continues.The inquest continues.