Hillsborough chief to face trial nearly 30 years after disaster
A former police commander will stand trial nearly 30 years after Britain's worst sporting disaster at Hillsborough football stadium, which claimed the lives of 96 people.
David Duckenfield was match commander when 96 Liverpool football fans were killed in a human crush in the terrace pens at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest in Sheffield.
A judge has confirmed the 73-year-old faces 95 counts of manslaughter by gross negligence with the criminal indictment accusing him of breaching his duty to take reasonable care for the safety of spectators.
Four other men will also face trial on charges relating to the incident.
Mr Duckenfield will reportedly face trial in September and the maximum sentence for manslaughter in the UK is life imprisonment.
The decision to make Mr Duckenfield stand trial was made at Preston Crown Court by judge Sir Peter Openshaw, who lifted an 18-year stay on his prosecution.
Under the law at the time, Mr Duckenfield camnot be prosecuted over the 96th victim, Tony Bland, because he died more than a year and a day after his injuries were sustained.
Mr Duckenfield gave the order to open an exit gate and more than 2,000 Liverpool fans flooded into the already-crowded stadium, leading to the fatal incident.
The victims were crushed against metal anti-riot fences or trampled underfoot.
Hooliganism was common at the time and there were immediate attempts to defend the police operation and assign blame to the Liverpool fans.
Mr Duckenfield was charged in June last year after evidence put forward in the 2014-2016 inquest was deemed sufficient by the Crown Prosecution Service.
Four other men — who were charged along with Mr Duckenfield in June — will also face trial on charges relating to the disaster.
The inquest that began in March 2014 heard evidence from more than 800 witnesses.
After 267 days of evidence, the longest case heard by a jury in British legal history, coroner John Goldring started his summing up in January 2016.
In April 2016 the jury found that fans had been unlawfully killed.
The inquest came about due to the lengthy campaigning of the families of the deceased.
According to The Guardian, about 20 members of the families were at Preston Crown Court to witness the ruling.
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