Hillsborough disaster victims' families sing 'You'll Never Walk Alone' after unlawful killing verdict
There were emotional celebrations after a jury found the fans were not to blame for the disaster
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Relatives of the 96 Liverpool fans who died in the Hillsborough disaster have gathered outside court to sing “You’ll Never Walk Alone” after an inquest found they were unlawfully killed.
Dozens of family members of all ages, waving scarves and photos of their loved ones, lined up holding hands in an emotional rendition of the song, which was joined by supporters gathered outside.
The verdict came after an agonising wait for justice that culminated in the longest jury proceedings in British history.
There were jubilant scenes inside the Warrington courtroom as jurors announced their finding that the victims the disaster on 15 April 1989 were unlawfully killed.
Relatives cheered and clapped at the forewoman’s announcement, which was followed by more emotional celebrations minutes later as the jury announced the finding that football supporters were in no way to blame for the crush at the Leppings Lane turnstiles.
The three men and six women of the jury had come in at 11.05am to deathly silence and in the following 17 minutes delivered all that the families had hoped for, for the last 27 years. “That was 14 nil,” as one said.
As the unlawful killing verdict was given, relatives of the 96 could not contain themselves, jumping out of their seats and clapping, one shouting: “Halleluia!”
The jurors also found unanimously that policing of the match caused or contributed to a dangerous situation developing at the Leppings Lane turnstiles.
Commanding officers also caused or contributed to the crush on the terrace, the jury decided, as did those senior officers in the police control box when the order was given to open the exit gates at the Leppings Lane end of the stadium.
Features of the design, construction and layout of the stadium considered to be dangerous or defective caused or contributed to the disaster, the jury decided.
Jurors also found the safety certification and oversight of the stadium also caused or contributed to the tragedy.
They reached the same conclusion in relation to Sheffield Wednesday's management and/or preparation for the semi-final tie and the dangerous situation that developed at the Leppings Lane turnstiles and in the west stand.
However, the jury concluded that the club's conduct on match day may only have caused or contributed to the same situation.
The club's then consultant engineers, Eastwood & Partners, should also have done more to detect and advise on any unsafe or unsatisfactory features the stadium which caused or contributed to the disaster.
The fresh inquests began on March 31, 2014, in a specially built courtroom in Warrington.
The 1991 accidental deaths verdicts from the original inquests were quashed following the 2012 Hillsborough Independent Panel report after a long campaign by the families of the dead.
Additional reporting by PA