The South Yorkshire police commander who admitted lying as the Hillsborough disaster was unfolding has denied that his false statements were the start of a police cover-up to conceal the force’s failings, and blame the deaths of 96 people on Liverpool supporters.
“I don’t think I was involved in any cover-up, ” said former Ch Supt David Duckenfield, giving his third day of evidence at the new inquests into the deaths at the 1989 FA Cup semifinal between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.
Duckenfield admitted in his second day of evidence that he made a “serious mistake” when he failed to foresee where fans would go after he admitted hundreds in by ordering a large exit gate to be opened to relieve serious congestion outside the Leppings Lane end of the Hillsborough ground.
He admitted it was a mistake not to take steps to close the tunnel facing the spectators as they came through the open gate, which led to the overcrowded central pens of the terrace, where the lethal crush occurred.
Duckenfield accepted that when Graham Kelly, the then Football Association chief executive, came to see him as the disaster was unfolding, he lied and said he did not order the gate to be opened, instead saying Liverpool fans had forced open a gate.
Referring to that lie, Rajiv Menon QC put to Duckenfield: “It was the beginning of the creation of a false narrative that sought to blame the Liverpool fans for what happened and sought to conceal the truth about your failings and the failings of other senior South Yorkshire police officers.”
Duckenfield replied: “There was no conspiracy as far as I was concerned. I have admitted my failings.”
Menon is asking questions on behalf of 75 families whose relatives were killed in the crush, many of whom have been in the Warrington courtroom.
Menon put to Duckenfield that a cover-up is being perpetuated in these new inquests, because the barristers representing Duckenfield and two other senior officers on duty that day have repeated allegations that a substantial number of Liverpool supporters at the game were drunk, and arrived late and without tickets.
“That false narrative has been pursued at these inquests by your lawyers on your behalf – that’s right, isn’t it?” Menon said.
Duckenfield replied: “My lawyers are acting in my best interests.” Earlier, referring to the allegations against the fans, Duckenfield said he did believe “many people” contributed to the disaster, and that the football fans “played their part”.
Asked about the lie to which he admitted the previous day, Duckenfield clarified that he had not lied directly about the major opening of the exit gate. He said that when he told Kelly that fans had forced the gate open, he was referring to an earlier, brief opening of the gate. He said he was admitting that was a lie because he had been advised it was a lie of omission.
Asked who had advised him, Duckenfield corrected himself, saying: “No sir, I used a wrong word.”
Some of the family members in the courtroom sighed in exasperation at that, and the coroner, Sir John Goldring, reminded them it was important to listen to the evidence in silence. The families had also reacted earlier when Duckenfield said he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Menon opened his questioning by referring to Duckenfield’s admissions of mistakes and his lie at these inquests, telling him that many relatives of the 96 who died have themselves passed away over the last 26 years, so never heard him make the admissions.
“Sir I must confess that had never crossed my mind,” Duckenfield replied. He said he had never previously made those admissions because for a considerable time he was probably in denial, and that he did not trust the press to represent his views accurately.
The inquests continue.
