- Ninety-six football fans died in a crush at the stadium in Sheffield at a FA Cup semi-final match in 1989
- After two-year inquests were held into all of their deaths, a jury has today found they were unlawfully killed
- The jury also found that the supporters' behaviour did not contribute to Britain's worst sporting disaster
- Campaigner says: 'I think we have changed a part of history now - I think that's the legacy the 96 have left'
- CPS today says it will consider whether to prosecute individuals or organisations damned by Hillsborough jury
But the families of the 96 people who died in the Hillsborough disaster were finally told today that woeful policing led to their needless deaths - and the football fans who died were not to blame.
Relatives of those who perished in the 1989 stadium disaster sobbed and held hands as an inquests jury exonerated the supporters and at last held police to account for their failings and the extraordinary cover-up which followed.
The findings present a damning indictment of the way the match was organised and managed - and the failures of emergency services to respond after the disaster unfolded.
The jury - who have listened to more than 1,000 witnesses during two years of evidence - found commanding officers caused the crush on the terrace by opening a large set of gates and allowing hundreds of fans to pour into the stadium.
The Hillsborough disaster claimed the lives of 96 Liverpool fans. They were (top row left to right) Adam Spearritt, Alan Johnston, Alan McGlone, Andrew Brookes, Anthony Bland, Anthony Kelly, Arthur Horrocks, Barry Glover, Barry Bennett, Brian Mathews, Carl Rimmer, Carl Brown, (second row left to right) Carl Hewitt, Carl Lewis, Christine Jones, Christopher Traynor, Christopher Devonside, Christopher Edwards, Colin Wafer, Colin Sefton, Colin Ashcroft, David Birtle, David Rimmer, David Hawley, (third row left to right) David Benson, David Thomas, David Mather, Derrick Godwin, Eric Hankin, Eric Hughes, Francis McAllister, Gary Church, Gary Collins, Gary Harrison, Gary Jones, Gerard Baron, (fourth row left to right) Gordon Horn, Graham Roberts, Graham Wright, Henry Rogers, Henry Burke, Ian Whelan, Ian Glover, Inger Shah, James Aspinall, James Delaney, James Hennessy, John Anderson, (fifth row left to right) John McBrien, Jonathon Owens, Jon-Paul Gilhooley, Joseph Clark, Joseph McCarthy, Keith McGrath, Kester Ball, Kevin Williams, Kevin Tyrrell, Lee Nicol, Marian Hazel McCabe, Martin Traynor, (sixth row left to right) Martin Wild, Michael Kelly, Nicholas Joynes, Nicholas Hewitt, Patrick Thompson, Paula Smith, Paul Hewitson, Paul Brady, Paul Murray, Paul Clark, Paul Carlile, Peter Harrison, (seventh row left to right) Peter Burkett, Peter Tootle, Peter McDonnell, Peter Thompson, Philip Hammond, Philip Steele, Raymond Chapman, Richard Jones, Roy Hamilton, Sarah Hicks, Simon Bell, Stephen Copoc, (bottom row left to right) Stephen Harrison, Stephen O'Neill, Steven Robinson, David Brown, Stuart Thompson, Thomas Howard, Thomas Howard, Thomas Fox, Tracey Cox, Victoria Hicks, Vincent Fitzsimmons and William Pemberton
Relatives sing Liverpool anthem 'You'll never walk alone' after the jury delivered its verdict at the new inquests in Warrington today
- Police caused the crush on the terrace when the order was given to open the exit gates in Leppings Lane, allowing fans in the street to enter the stadium.
- Commanding officers should have ordered the closure of a central tunnel onto the terraces before the gates were opened.
- The police response to the increasing crowds in the Leppings Lane end was 'slow and un-coordinated'. Ambulance service errors also contributed to the loss of lives.
- Features of the design, construction and layout of the stadium considered to be dangerous contributed to the disaster. The safety certification also played a part.
- Sheffield Wednesday's then consultant engineers, Eastwood & Partners, should have done more to detect and advise unsafe features of the stadium which contributed to the disaster.
Barry Devonside, who lost his only son Christopher, 18, in the Hillsborough disaster said he had 'dreamt' of the moment a jury decided the 96 victims were unlawfully killed.
Mr Devonside, who has attended every day of the inquest, said: 'Today we gained the confidence from the jury that what we've tried to do for 27 years is to bring justice for those who never went home.'
He added: 'I never thought in my wildest dreams that we would get this decision. I always hoped and dreamt that we would get this decision. I'm glad we did. We did our best - we couldn't do any more.' He said the conclusions delivered by the jury were 'far more than expected', adding: 'I'm so, so pleased'.
The jurors had been told they could only reach a determination of unlawful killing if they were sure commander Chief Superintendent David Duckenfield owed a duty of care to those attending the game - and that he was in breach of that duty of care.
The jury were told they also needed to be satisfied that his breach of duty caused the deaths and that it amounted to 'gross negligence'. The jury concluded that this was the case and it was therefore unlawful killing. The gave the decision by a 7-2 majority
Some of the victims' families cheered when the conclusions were returned, others put their head in their hands. Someone in court shouted 'God bless the jury', who after two years considering the evidence were clapped as they left the room.
As families left the building they were met with applause from crowds who had gathered outside the court in support. Many had arrived wearing Liverpool Football Club scarfs and holding posters and banners of loved one.
Relatives were in tears as the jury gave their conclusions and spilled out into the streets to hold an impromptu celebration of the result
Campaigners and the the families of the 96 embrace after hearing a jury blame police and authorities for the deaths of their loved ones
A relative of Keith McGrath, clutching a picture of her loved one and wearing a Liverpool scarf, is held aloft as she exits the centre
Reporters who were inside the courtroom said that a party atmosphere broke out in the corridors outside after the verdicts were delivered, with ecstatic relatives embracing and kissing each other - but everyone crying, weeping tears of joy and relief.
Leading Hillsborough campaigner Margaret Aspinall, whose 18-year-old son James died in the disaster, said she was immensely grateful to the people of Liverpool for backing the fight for justice.
She told reporters:'Everything was against us. The only people that weren't against us was our own city. That's why I am so grateful to my city and so proud of my city. They always believed in us.'
Surrounded by a sea of camera crews and reporters outside the court, Ms Aspinall added: 'I think we have changed a part of history now - I think that's the legacy the 96 have left.'
Prime Minister David Cameron said on Twitter: 'Landmark day as the Hillsborough inquest provides long overdue justice for the 96 football fans who died in the tragic disaster.
'I would like to pay tribute to the extraordinary courage of Hillsborough campaigners in their long search for the truth.'
Labour MP Andy Burnham has described the Hillsborough jury's findings as 'real justice' for the victims.
The former cabinet minister, widely credited with helping to secure a new inquest into the disaster, said in a statement: 'This has been the greatest miscarriage of justice of our times.
'But, finally, it is over. After 27 long years, this is real justice for the 96, their families and all Liverpool supporters. The survivors of this tragedy can finally be remembered for what they were on that day - the heroes of Hillsborough who tried to help their fellow fans.'
Margaret Aspinall of the Hillsborough Family Support Group shows her emotion as she departs after hearing the conclusions of the inquests
A relative of Peter McDonnell, who died aged 21 in the crush, holds a poster with his picture on it as she exits the inquests hearing
Mr Burnham, the MP for Leigh, added: 'The Hillsborough Independent Panel gave us the truth. This Inquest has delivered justice. Next must come accountability.
'For 27 years, this police force has consistently put protecting itself above protecting those hurt by the horror of Hillsborough. People must be held to account for their actions and prosecutions must now follow.
'Disgracefully, lawyers for retired police have attempted to continue the cover-up in this courtroom. They made it an adversarial battle in defiance of the Lord Chief Justice's ruling. This has been brutal on the Hillsborough families and put them through hell once again.
'The current leadership of South Yorkshire Police needs to explain why it went back on its 2012 apology at this Inquest, prolonging the agony for the families.
'The sense of relief we feel is tempered by the knowledge that this day has taken far too long in coming. The struggle for justice has taken too great a toll on too many. But the Hillsborough families have at long last prevailed and finally their loved ones can rest in peace.'
The Hillsborough disaster unfolded during Liverpool's FA Cup tie against Nottingham Forest on April 15 as thousands of fans were crushed at Sheffield Wednesday's ground.
Mr Duckenfield gave the order at 2.52pm to open exit Gate C in Leppings Lane, allowing around 2,000 fans to flood into the already packed central pens behind the goal.
Donna Miller (right), sister of Hillsborough victim Paul Carlile, and (right) a relative of Andrew Brooks herald the jury's conclusions today
Relatives of the victims hug as they meet this morning ahead of the jury's verdicts today. Relatives were overjoyed with the result this morning
Steve Rotheram, Labour MP for Liverpool Walton, said today: 'I have waited 27 years for this moment. But I know it comes too late for many. I was there on the day and saw the horror unfold before my very eyes.
'Before we'd even buried our dead, the hurt of loss was compounded by the lies and smears. I remember picking up a newspaper and feeling sick to the pit of my stomach. They inflicted terrible pain on a city at its moment of maximum grief.
'I've seen how friends have suffered. This is a momentous day but they should never have had to wait so long. The truth is out there for all to see. Justice has been served by the verdicts and now it is about accountability.'
The jury gave their decisions from 11am today at the conclusion of the longest jury proceedings in British legal history.
Jurors answered a general questionnaire of 14 questions and will record of the time and cause of death for each of the fans, 27 years after the disaster on April 15 1989.
The questions they answered covered the topics of the police planning before the game, stadium safety, events on the day, the emergency services' response to the disaster and whether the fans were unlawfully killed.
Last Wednesday the jury indicated to the court in Warrington that unanimous decisions had already been made on every question apart from question six. Question six asks: 'Are you satisfied, so that you are sure, that those who died in the disaster were unlawfully killed?'
Donna Miller (left), sister of Hillsborough victim Paul Carlile, arrives ahead of the Hillsborough inquest verdicts. Trevor Hicks (right) and his ex-wife Jenni, whose two daughters Sarah and Victoria died in the disaster, arrive in Warrington this morning
Liverpool FC CEO Ian Ayre arrives today before Andy Burnham, a former secretary of state for culture, media and sport, who was booed on the 20th anniversary of the disaster
They were given a majority direction yesterday and indicated they had reached a majority decision on the outstanding question.
The hearings have been ongoing for more than two years, with the jury having heard evidence from around 1,000 witnesses. The fresh inquests began on March 31 2014, in a specially built courtroom in Warrington.
Dozens of relatives of the victims have attended each of the more than 300 days the court has sat at Bridgewater Place on the Cheshire town's Birchwood Park business park.
At the start of the inquests, the coroner said none of the victims should be blamed for their deaths. Emotional tributes to each of the 96 were then delivered by family members in the form of personal portraits.
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.
THE 14 QUESTIONS POSED TO THE JURY AT THE HILLSBOROUGH INQUESTS - AND THE ANSWERS THEY GAVE
Question 1 - Basic Facts: Do you agree with the following statement: 'Ninety-six people died as a result of the disaster at the Hillsborough stadium on 15 April 1989 due to crushing in the central pens of the Leppings Lane terrace, following the admission of a large number of supporters to the stadium through exit gates.'
Answer - Yes
Question 2 - Police Planning: Was there any error or omission in police planning or preparation which caused or contributed to the dangerous situation that developed on the day of the match?
Answer - Yes. The jury feel that there were major omissions in the 1989 Operational Order including: specific instructions for managing the crowds outside the Leppings Lane turnstiles; specific instructions as to how the pens were to be filled and monitored; specific instructions as to who would be responsible for the monitoring of pens.
Question 3 - Policing at the turnstiles: Was there any error or omission in policing on the day of the match which caused or contributed to a dangerous situation developing at the Leppings Lane turnstiles?
Answer - Yes. Police response to the increasing crowds at Leppings Lane was slow and un-coordinated. The road closure and sweep of fans exacerbated the situation. No filter cordons were placed in Leppings Lane. No contingency plans were made for the sudden arrival of a large number of fans. Attempts to close the perimeter gates were made too late.
Fans in the top tier of the away end help those in the crowded lower tier as the crush unfolds
Question 4 - Police commanders: Was there any error or omission by commanding officers which caused or contributed to the crush on the terrace?
Answer - Yes. Commanding officers should have ordered the closure of the central tunnel before the opening of gate C was requested, as pens three and four were full. Commanding officers should have requested the number of fans still to enter the stadium after 2.30pm. Commanding officers failed to recognise that pens three and four were at capacity before gate C was opened. Commanding officers failed to order the closure of the tunnel as gate C was opened.
Question 5 - Opening the exit gates: When the order was given to open the exit gates at the Leppings Lane end of the stadium was there any error or omission by the commanding officers in the control box which caused or contributed to the crush on the terrace?
Answer - Yes. Commanding officers did not inform officers in the inner concourse prior to the opening of gate C. Commanding officers failed to consider where the incoming fans would go. Commanding officers failed to order the closure of the central tunnel prior to the opening of gate C.
Question 6 - Unlawful killing: Are you satisfied, so that you are sure, that those who died in the disaster were unlawfully killed?
Answer - Yes.
Question 7 - Supporters' behaviour: Was there any behaviour on the part of the football supporters which caused or contributed to the dangerous situation at the Leppings Lane turnstiles? If yes was that behaviour unusual or unforseeable?
Answer - No
Question 8 - Hillsborough stadium: Were there any features of its design, construction and layout which were dangerous or defective and which probably or may have caused or contributed to the disaster?
Answer - Yes. Design and layout of the crush barriers in pens three and four were not fully compliant with the Green Guide. The removal of barrier 144 and the partial removal of barrier 136 would have exacerbated the 'waterfall effect' of pressure towards the front of the pens. The lack of dedicated turnstiles for individual pens meant that capacities could not be monitored. There were too few turnstiles for a capacity crowd. Signage to the side pens was inadequate.
Question 9 - Safety licencing of the stadium: Was there any error or omission in the safety certification and oversight of Hillsborough Stadium that caused or contributed to the disaster?
Answer - Yes. The Safety Certificate was never amended to reflect the changes at the Leppings Lane end of the stadium, therefore capacity figures were never updated. The capacity figures for the Leppings Lane terraces were incorrectly calculated when the Safety Certificate was first issued. The Safety Certificate had not been reissued since 1986.
Liverpool and Nottingham Forest players are escorted from the field as the seriousness of the crush in the stands begins to emerge
Question 10 - Sheffield Wednesday's planning: Was there any error or omission by SWFC and its staff in the management of the stadium and/or preparation for the semi final match on 15 April 1989 which caused or contributed to the dangerous situation which developed on the day of the match?
Answer - Yes. The Club did not approve the plans for dedicated turnstiles for each pen. The Club did not agree any contingency plans with the police. There was inadequate signage and inaccurate/misleading information on the semi-final tickets.
Question 11 - Sheffield Wednesday on matchday: Was there any error or omission by SWFC and its staff on 15 April 1989 which caused or contributed to the dangerous situation that developed at the Leppings Lane turnstiles and in the west terrace?
Answer - No, but error or omission may have contributed or caused the dangerous situation. Club officials were aware of the huge numbers of fans still outside the Leppings Lane turnstiles at 2.40pm. They should have requested a delayed kick-off at this point.
Question 12 - Engineers: Should they (SWFC engineers Eastwood and Partners) have done more to detect and advise on any unsafe or unsatisfactory features of the stadium which caused or contributed to the disaster?
Answer - Yes. Eastwoods (sic) did not make their own calculations when they became consultants for SWFC, therefore the initial capacity figures and all subsequent calculations were incorrect. Eastwoods failed to re-calculate capacity figures each time changes were made to the terraces. Eastwoods failed to update the Safety Certificate after 1986. Eastwoods failed to recognise that the removal of barrier 144 and the partial removal of barrier 136 could result in a dangerous situation in the pens.
Question 13: Police response: After the crush in the West Terrace had begun to develop was there any error or omission by the police which caused or contributed to the loss of lives in the disaster?
Answer - Yes. The police delayed calling a Major Incident, so the appropriate emergency responses were delayed. There was a lack of co-ordination, communication, command and control which delayed or prevented appropriate responses.
Question 14: Ambulance response: After the crush in the west terrace had begun to develop, was there any error or omission by the ambulance service SYMAS which caused or contributed to the loss of lives in the disaster?
Answer - Yes. SYMAS officers at the scene failed to ascertain the nature of the problem at Leppings Lane. The failure to recognise and call a Major Incident led to delays in responses to the emergency.
'I was calling their names in the hope they'd know we were there': Harrowing evidence of father whose two daughters were crushed to death at Hillsborough
Harrowing evidence heard how a father was forced to make the heartbreaking decision to leave his elder daughter dying on the pitch at Hillsborough so he could carry his other teenage girl to an ambulance.
Trevor Hicks described how he had called out his daughters' names after finding them lying side-by-side so they knew he was there in their final moments.
In an emotional testimony given to the inquest last year, he told how he then faced the heartbreaking dilemma of having to leave his 19-year-old girl Sarah so he could take Victoria, 15, to hospital in the hope she could be saved.
Tragically, both girls died in the disaster and Mr Hicks - who went on to become one of Hillsborough's most prominent campaigners - said he is still haunted about his decision.
He told the hearing: 'I felt dreadful. I had no choice, I appreciate that but it doesn't stop you feeling dreadful about it.'
Teenage sisters Victoria (left) and Sarah (right) Hicks. Their father Trevor Hicks went to buy a programme when the crush unfolded. He and their mother described them as 'bright, beautiful, innocent young women'
Trevor Hicks (left) - who went on to become one of Hillsborough's most prominent campaigners - told how he had 'no choice' but to leave his elder daughter dying on the pitch as he carried his younger child into an ambulance. His former wife Jenni (right) is pictured today as the verdicts were announced
Sarah and Victoria had travelled to South Yorkshire from their home in Middlesex with their father and mother Jenni - who was sat separately - for the showpiece tie at Sheffield Wednesday's ground.
But they became separated from their father when he went to buy a programme and a coffee. He was then forced to watch as chaos broke out on the Leppings Lane terrace where his 'football mad' teenage daughters were standing.
In one heartbreaking memory, he described how he saw the 'limp form' of his youngest daughter be lifted over the wall onto the pitch.
He then pushed through the crowd to find his daughters lying side-by-side on the pitch and began calling their names, hoping it would bring them around.
'I have always been taught that one of the last things that goes is the hearing so I was calling their names as well in the hope that you know they'd know we were there,' he told the hearing.
'I was going to do everything possible. If they had a chance they were going to get it.'
The inquest heard how Mr Hicks then began frantically swapping between his two daughters, doing mouth-to-mouth and heart compressions in a desperate attempt to keep them alive.
But he said that, once an ambulance arrived on the pitch, he had to leave Sarah so he could stay with Vicki in the ambulance.
He told the hearing: 'My concern was to get Sarah into the ambulance once Vicki was in it.
'I was then faced with the awful choice of leaving Sarah, who I was assured would be placed in the next ambulance which was apparently coming.
'It was chaos, basically everybody was looking after their casualty, or in my case, casualties.'
Tragically, both girls died in the disaster and Mr Hicks - who went on to become one of Hillsborough's most prominent campaigners - said he is still haunted about his decision. The sisters are pictured above
Mr Hicks was just one of the family members who was forced to watch on in turmoil as their loved ones were crushed to death when the tragedy unfolded in 1989.
The hearing also heard evidence about the death of HIllsborough's youngest victim, Jon-Paul Gilhooley, who was just 10 years old when he was crushed to death.
Jon-Paul was the cousin of Steven Gerrard, who was eight at the time, but would grow up to become a Liverpool and England legend.
The inquest was told how Jon-Paul had travelled to the ground with family friends Rodney Jolley and Glen Flatley.
In evidence, Mr Flatley described how they were trying to find a barrier for him to sit on when they were caught up in the crush, as though they were being 'pressed between two massive slabs of concrete'
He said: 'Jon-Paul was somewhere in front of me but I couldn't see him because he was obviously much smaller. We were so packed in together at this time that it was impossible for me to even look down and see where he was.'
A police officer who tried to save Jon-Paul said going into the stand was like 'walking into hell'.
Jacqueline Gilhooley, Jon-Paul's mother, told the inquest she was 'lucky' to have had Jon-Paul in her life, but that that disaster denied him the chance to fulfill his life.
'Jon-Paul had his life taken away at just 10 years old. He has been denied the chance of fulfilling his life, meeting new friends, getting married, carving out a career and having children,' she said.
'To the world, Jon-Paul was a football fan, but to us he was our world. Forever loved and missed.'
Jon-Paul Gilhooley, 10, (left) was the youngest victim of the tragedy. A family friend who was with him said it felt like they were being 'pressed between two massive slabs of concrete'. James Aspinall (right) was left lying under a policeman's tunic after the crush. His father had to watch from another stand, powerless to help his son
There was also evidence from the mother of 14-year-old Adam Spearritt, who had gone to the game with his father Eddie Spearritt and died in his arms.
In a statement to the inquest, his mother Janet said: 'Adam Edward Spearritt died on 15 April, 1989 after becoming unconscious in his dad Eddie's arms.
'Eddie also lost consciousness and woke up in hospital the next day to be told that the son he had tried so desperately hard to save was dead.
'Adam and his dad 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.
'Sadly, Eddie died three years ago, without really knowing that his efforts in helping to fight for a new inquest were coming to fruition.'
She added: 'To everyone, Adam was just an ordinary boy, but to us, as every child is to their parents, he was extraordinary.'
Another of the young teens who died at Hillsborough was Tommy Howard, a 14-year-old schoolboy from Runcorn.
He had 'pestered' his father, Thomas Snr, to take him to the game and, although his mother was reluctant to let him go, she knew it would 'break his heart' if she put her foot down.
A fan told the hearing how he saw Mr Howard in front of him saying 'my son, my son', but he could not move to help him.
He later saw Mr Howard turning yellow and slumping forward in the crowd. The Howards were the only father and son to die in the disaster.
Thomas Howard Snr and his son Tommy Jnr were the only father and son who both died in the disaster. The inquest was told the father was heard crying for someone to help his son before he also fell unconscious
Single mother Inger Shah, 38, was also killed in the crush. She had travelled to the game with her 13-year-old son Daniel.
After her death, her young son had to identify his mother's body from a Polaroid photo taken by police. He and his older sister, Rebecca, were later taken into care as there was no one to look after them.
During the inquest, Rebecca described how she is still plagued by guilt over their deaths.
'Both my mum and I tried very hard to get me a ticket for Hillsborough. I was so upset that I would have to miss it.
'My season ticket ended in the wrong number, but my mum's and my brother's both had the correct numbers so they were allocated tickets.'
The inquest also heard how footage of the unfolding disaster showed James Aspinall, 18, lying on the pitch beneath a policeman's tunic.
James' mother Margaret Aspinall - who became chairwoman of the Hillsborough Family Support Group in the years after the disaster - said watching footage the disaster had torn her apart.
She said: 'You see your son lying on a pitch with a coat over him for about three or four minutes and nobody doing anything to help him.
'We still don't know whether he was alive or dead - and that I have got to live with for the rest of my life.'
Anthony Bland (left) was the last victim of Hillsborough. He died four years after the disaster having suffered severe brain damage in the Leppings Lane end. The body of John Anderson Snr (right) was identified by his son, who managed to escape the crush when he was lifted into the tier above the overcrowded pen
The oldest person to die at Hillsborough was Gerard Baron, a retired postal worker from Preston.
He had gone to the game with his son Gerard Baron Jr, who was 26 at the time, and told the inquest how he cradled his father as the pressure of the crowd grew.
The jury heard how the 67-year-old 'had a look of just sheer terror on his face' in his final moments.
'I just said to him that it would be okay,' Mr Baron Jr said; 'How wrong I was.'
Mr Baron Jr lost consciousness in the crush after the pain became 'excruciating', he told the inquests.
John Anderson Jnr had also travelled to the game with his father, John Anderson Snr. The son was lifted out of the crush by fans in the tier above. His father lost consciousness and then his life.
The son said in a statement: 'I was looking at the bodies to see if I could find my father and saw that he was in fact one of them. I realised that he was dead.'
Anthony Bland is often described as the last victim of the disaster. He was left severely brain damaged by the 1989 crush but lived until 1993.
He was lifted out of the stand but those who helped him said he had no pulse and was not breathing. Some minutes later a heartbeat was found and rescuers gave him heart compressions.
He was left in a persistent vegetative state and his life supporting treatment was later removed after a legal battle. He was 18 at the time of the disaster and died aged 22.
Police chief whose actions led to the fatal crush at Hillsborough then lied about it could now face criminal charges
The police commander whose actions led to the unlawful deaths of 96 fans at Hillsborough could face court again after today's damning inquest verdicts.
David Duckenfield said Liverpool supporters had smashed through a closed gate before kick-off, causing the crush, when in fact he had ordered it to be left open to ease congestion.
It was only 26 years later, having retired on a gold-plated police pension, that he was forced to admit this was the 'direct cause' of the tragedy and that he had lied to save his own skin.
Lies: Match commander David Duckenfield, pictured left on the day after the disaster in 1989 manslaughter trial and right in Warrington last year, lied and said Liverpool supporters had smashed through a closed gate before kick-off - he had ordered it open
Today the inquest found that his decision had caused or contributed to their deaths - and also meant that they were unlawfully killed.
In 2000 the families of the dead brought a private manslaughter prosecution against Duckenfield, but a jury failed to reach a verdict. The Crown Prosecution Service could again choose to prosecute him again after today's verdicts.
Sue Hemming, Head of the Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division at the CPS said: 'Following the inquests' determinations the CPS will formally consider whether any criminal charges should be brought against any individual or corporate body based upon all the available evidence, in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors.
'We would ask that everyone is mindful of the continuing investigations and the potential for future criminal proceedings when reporting or publicly commenting on the inquests' conclusions.'
Police lied to hide the truth about their catastrophic failings when 96 supporters were crushed to death in what has been called the biggest cover-up in British history.
Within hours of the tragedy South Yorkshire Police had launched a 'black propaganda' campaign to protect their own reputation - and sought to blame drunken fans and those who had perished.
Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher tours Hillsborough, Sheffield Wednesday's football ground, on the day after the tragedy, with David Duckenfield circled behind her
In the days afterwards more than 100 statements taken by South Yorkshire Police were doctored to remove evidence which painted the force in a bad light.
The dead, including children, were given blood tests to try to prove they were drunk and illicit criminal record checks were carried out to ensure blame could be pointed elsewhere.
No police officer has ever been convicted of any crime in relation to the events that day.Here are the key Hillsborough policemen and the roles they played on April 15, 1989 - and in its dark aftermath.
David Duckenfield: Out of his depth police chief whose failure was the 'direct cause' of 96 deaths and then lied to cover it up
Disgraced: David Duckenfield, 71, pictured outside the inquest, accepted he 'froze' during the 1989 football disaster and then lied to cover up his mistakes
More than 25 years after the worst football disaster in British history, the policeman in charge of the ground was forced to face families of the 96 dead and admitted his mistakes were the 'direct cause' of the tragedy.
In a humbling appearance at the Warrington inquests last year, David Duckenfield, 71, accepted he 'froze' during the 1989 football disaster before he ordered the opening of an exit gate to relieve congestion outside the Leppings Lane turnstile.
He also admitted calling for police dogs instead of ambulances as fans were being crushed to death.
Reports since the 1989 disaster have said that without failings 41 of the 96 could have survived.
The former police officer, who retired two years later on health grounds, admitted he lied about fans forcing an exit gate open to enter the ground to hide his own mistakes.
Some relatives of the 96 refused to be in the same room as him as he gave evidence last March, and those who were there gasped as he said: 'I apologise unreservedly to the families.'
He admitted that he would regret his deceit 'to his dying day' - saying that as the crush started he 'froze' and his 'mind went blank'.
As match commander Duckenfield was in charge of the ground, but admitted that he was not familiar with its geography.
During six says of evidence his poor decisions were picked apart one by one.
Paul Greaney QC, representing the Police Federation at the inquests, asked him: 'Do you agree with the following, that people died in a crush in the central pens?'
Mr Duckenfield said: 'Yes sir.'
Mr Greaney said: 'That if they had not been permitted to flow down the tunnel into those central pens that would not have occurred?'
The witness repeated: 'Yes sir.'
Around 2,000 fans poured in through Gate C (pictured), many heading straight for a tunnel in front of them, which had not been closed off by police
PETER WRIGHT: THE POLICE CHIEF WHO SAID FANS HAD TO BE BLAMED
Peter Wright , the then chief constable of South Yorkshire Police, was instrumental in the effort to ensure his force wasn't blamed for the tragedy.
He also sought to 'amend' hundreds of accounts that criticised the police.
According to minutes from a meeting of the force's police federation five days after the disaster, he said details of fans' alleged misbehaviour were crucial because 'if anybody should be blamed, it should be the drunken ticketless individuals'.
Families accused the South Yorkshire Chief Constable of trying to create a smokescreen to protect himself and his force.
Wright retired 12 months later after the Taylor Report exposed police failings and died in 2011 aged 82.
The barrister continued: 'That closing the tunnel would have prevented that and therefore would have prevented the tragedy.'
Mr Duckenfield said again: 'Yes sir.'
Mr Greaney went on: 'That failure was the direct cause of the deaths of 96 persons in the Hillsborough tragedy.'
Mr Duckenfield said: 'Yes sir.'
Up to 2,000 fans entered Gate C, with many heading straight for a tunnel in front of them which Mr Duckenfield had not ordered to be closed and then on to the already full central pens on the terrace which led to the fatal crushing.
He claimed he was unaware of the geography of Sheffield Wednesday's ground, this being his first match in charge.
Mr Greaney said: 'Do you agree that never mind a competent match commander it might only take a child of average intelligence to realise what the consequences of your actions might be?'
Mr Duckenfield replied: 'I did not think of it on the day, sir, because of the pressure I was under.'
The inquests have heard that Mr Duckenfield told the 1989 Taylor Inquiry into the disaster that he had made the right decisions on the day but he now accepted that he had made errors - some of which were 'grave'.
He has told the jury that his serious failings were due to his lack of experience and that others also played their part in the cause of the deaths.
Mr Duckenfield agreed with Mr Greaney that it was 'totally unacceptable' that a match commander 'did not have a grip on the geography of that ground sufficient to enable you to understand the consequences of your decision making'.
He also accepted that when giving evidence to Lord Justice Taylor it appeared that he was aware that the congested Leppings Lane turnstiles did lead to the central tunnel.
Mr Duckenfield said he did not want to go into detail about his 'personal circumstances' - he has previously said he suffered post-traumatic stress - but he may have been 'confused' when giving evidence in 1989.
In 2000,the families brought a private prosecution for manslaughter and wilful neglect against former chief superintendent Duckenfield, but the jury failed to return a verdict.
Promoted to the rank just a month before the match, he did not give evidence in his own defence.
After Lord Taylor's inquiry, he was suspended on full pay and retired early in 1991, and lives in a Dorset bunglaow with his wife, where for many years he pursued his passion for golf.
Some 96 fans were killed in the crush on the overcrowded Leppings Lane terrace
Sir Norman Bettison: Senior policeman who continued to blame Liverpool supporters and accused of masterminding campaign of 'black propaganda' in days after 1989 disaster
Sir Norman, who retired in disgrace in 2012, was a chief inspector with South Yorkshire Police at the time of the 1989 tragedy and rose to chief constable within three years
Sir Norman Bettison was accused of spreading 'black propaganda' to force the blame on to innocent supporters in the aftermath the Hillsborough disaster - and his repeated attempts to blame fans would later cost him his job.
Sir Norman, who was a chief inspector with South Yorkshire Police at the time of the 1989 tragedy, rose to chief constable within three years on the back of his work
He was accused of being part of a squad of police who tried to blame 'drunken' fans for the 96 deaths.
In 2012 a report accused Sir Norman, who was knighted in 2006, of being at the centre of a cover-up - and he then said he stood by his belief that fans' behaviour made the job of police harder.
He said: 'Fans' behaviour to the extent that it was relevant at all, made the job of the police in the crush outside Leppings Lane turnstiles, harder than it needed to be.
Days later he resigned as Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police - but kept his £83,000-a-year pension.
Sir Norman told the inquests last year that his strategy prior to the report coming out 'was to make no comment whatsoever' but that it became apparent he had become 'front and centre of the very serious allegations of cover-up and putting blame on the fans for causing the death of 96 innocent people'.
He said: 'I made a judgement that I needed to respond to that. The communication that I put out was hurried, it was ill-thought out, and it was wrong at the time.'
During the inquests he was forced to deny telling two separate drinking partners that his team were trying to blame 'drunken' Liverpool fans for the tragedy.
Sir Norman was said to have made the comments during bar-room chats in the weeks after the disaster in April 1989 which claimed the lives of 96 Liverpool fans.
John Barry told the inquests into the deaths that Sir Norman told him: 'I have been asked by my senior officers to pull together this South Yorkshire Police evidence for the (Taylor) inquiry and we are going to try to concoct a story that all of the Liverpool fans were drunk, and that we were afraid they were going to break down the gates so we decided to open them.'
A second witness, Mark Ellaby, told the jury: 'I remember Mr Bettison saying that he had just been seconded to an internal team in South Yorkshire Police who were tasked with making sure that South Yorkshire Police bore no blame for the Hillsborough disaster and it was all the fault of drunken Liverpool supporters.
'I don't recall the exact words but I certainly recall those words were the close approximation of what he said.
'I remember him going to lengths to say that South Yorkshire Police held no sort of responsibility for what happened.'
Extraordinarily he was later appointed chief constable at Merseyside Police (pictured) and never mentioned his Hillsborough work when applying for the job because it didn't occur to him that it was 'significant'
DR STEFAN POPPER: THE CORONER WHO ORDERED BLOOD ALCOHOL TESTS TO BE TAKEN FROM THE DEAD - INCLUDING CHILDREN
Dr Stefan Popper, the coroner for South Yorkshire West, played a key role from the day of the tragedy through to the fateful decision not to consider events after 3.15pm when he held the initial inquests.
Arriving at the ground, he ordered that blood alcohol levels be taken from all those who died, regardless of their youth, in case drink turned out to be a factor.
At the full inquests in 1991, Dr Popper ruled that there was 'overwhelming' evidence that none of the fans could have been saved by 15 minutes after the match had kicked off.
As a result, evidence of failures in the emergency response after 3.15pm were not heard, and he returned verdicts of accidental death.
Yet a 2012 report found almost half could have survived.
In 1997, Dr Popper wrote that it was 'neither here nor there' that fans 'may have breathed or had a heartbeat say at 3.20 or 3.30 or 4pm'.
Both conversations were said to have taken place in the Fleur de Lys pub in Sheffield, where a group of Masters business students including Bettison, who was taking a course at Sheffield School of Business in his spare time, would go after their weekly Monday evening classes.
Sir Norman told the inquest he was not there on those dates.
Jonathan Hough QC, counsel to the inquests, questioned the witness about his role for the South Yorkshire force in the aftermath of the disaster.
Sir Norman maintained he made no 'significant' contribution to the management or leadership of the South Yorkshire force's response to the tragedy in the run-up to holding the original inquests in 1990.
Sir Norman said: 'I thought what I was doing was putting forward evidence to lawyers that would enable them to put forward the case of the chief constable.'
Mr Hough said: 'The case would be whatever the senior officers and lawyers determined it should be?'
Sir Norman replied: 'Exactly.'
Extraordinarily he was later appointed chief constable at Merseyside Police and never mentioned his Hillsborough work when applying for the job because it didn't occur to him that it was 'significant'.
The court also heard that Oxford-educated Sir Norman, who rose through the ranks from chief inspector to assistant chief constable in three years, had not mentioned his duties in relation to the Hillsborough disaster when he later applied for the top job at the Merseyside force.
The jury was shown his original application for the job.
Mr Hough continued: 'In the course of this form, you did not mention, I think, your work within South Yorkshire Police in relation to Hillsborough?'
Sir Norman said: 'Because there was not the opportunity to.
'Two reasons - even though I was applying to Merseyside, it was irrelevant in a job application sense, and the second thing is there was no opportunity on either the form or the interview to address it.'
Mr Hough then asked the witness: 'Sir Norman, as an intelligent man, did it not occur to you at the time that any work you had done in connection with Hillsborough might be seen in Merseyside as significant?'
Sir Norman replied: 'No,' adding that at the time of his application he had not been criticised by anyone in relation to Hillsborough, and he had 'definitely not' intentionally played down his role.
Sir Bernard Hogan Howe: How Met chief ran reception centre for bereft relatives where one family was given false hope that their son was alive
Met chief Bernard Hogan-Howe was reported to the police watchdog the IPCC for his role in the Hillsborough aftermath
Met Police commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe has insisted he didn't do anything wrong when asked about his role at Hillsborough.
In 2014 he was reported to the IPCC after a complaint from one family who lost their son in the tragedy.
Bernard Hogan-Howe was caught up in the aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster after responding to a call for off-duty officers to provide assistance.
Relatives of fans caught up in the crush on the terraces at the Leppings Lane End at Sheffield Wednesday's ground waited at the Boys' Club for news.
It was here that police, medical staff and social workers struggled to bring some order to the chaos.
Then a 31-year-old inspector with the South Yorkshire force, he was at home in Sheffield but volunteered to help as the magnitude of the tragedy became clear.
He was sent to the Hillsborough Boys' Club, which had been turned into a reception area for friends and relatives of the dead and missing because of its proximity to Hammerton Road police station, where arrangements were being made for identifying the bodies.
A list of people believed to be alive was read out by an unidentified police officer at the Boys' Club that night, which included the name of 14-year-old Adam Spearritt, who had actually died in the disaster.
The identity of that police officer is not known.
One of the first questions put to him on a live web chat organised by the Metropolitan Police recently was whether he had any regrets over his role at Hillsborough, to which he replied: 'Afterwards I tried to help at the boys club. Great confusion on day. I don't believe I've done anything wrong.'
TIMELINE OF A TRAGEDY: HOW THE HILLSBOROUGH DISASTER UNFOLDED ON THE AFTERNOON OF APRIL 15, 1989
Beginning of the day: South Yorkshire Police asked both clubs to ensure their fans arrived between 10.30am and 2pm for the game.
2pm: The Leppings Lane turnstiles began operating smoothly, but after 2.15pm the volume of fans increased.
2.30pm: The road was closed. Fans were asked over the PA system to move forward and spread out in the space. Officers considered delayed the kick-off but did not.
2.40pm: Large crowds had built up outside the turnstiles.
2.44pm: Fans were asked to stop pushing, though crowding was already bad and the turnstiles were struggling to cope.
2.47pm to 2.57pm: Some external gates were opened to relived pressure on the turnstiles - which caused fans to rush forward and crowd the pens even more. Pressure built up, and narrow gates in two of the pens were opened. Officers though fans were deliberately invading the pitch.
3pm: Kick-off. By this time the crush at the front of the pens was intolerable.
Horror: Fans carrying one of those injured in the disaster using a makeshift stretcher
3.04pm: Liverpool player Peter Beardsley struck the crossbar of the Nottingham goal, causing fans to rush forward again. The huge pressure caused one of the crush barriers to break, making the situation even more dire for those pressed against it.
3.05pm: Ambulance staff began investigation.
3.05pm to 3.06pm: Police Superintendent Roger Greenwood decided the match had to be stopped and ran onto the pitch.
3.06pm to 3.08pm: Police called for a fleet of ambulances.
3.07pm to 3.10pm: South Yorkshire Police called for all available resources to come to the stadium.
3.08pm: Ambulance officers, under Mr Higgins, returned to the Leppings Lane end to treat a fracture victim. There were more spectators on the pitch. Some were distressed, some were angry.
3.13pm: An ambulance from St John Ambulance, the volunteer force, was driven around the perimeter of the pitch at the north-east corner. It was mentioned that there may have been fatalities.
3.15pm: The secretary of Sheffield Wednesday and the chief executive of the Football Association, Graham Kelly, went to the police control box to ask for information. Chief Superintendent David Duckenfield said there were fatalities and the game was likely to be called off. He also said that a gate had been forced, that there had been an in-rush of Liverpool supporters. This later transpired to not be correct.
3.29pm: By this time fire engines and more ambulances had arrived. One ambulance was driven onto the pitch.
3.56pm: Kenny Dalglish, the Liverpool manager, broadcast a message to all fans. He asked them to remain calm and in their seats. The police had asked him to do so.
4.10pm: The match was formally abandoned and many fans returned home.
4.30pm: By this time, some 88 people had been taken by ambulance to the Northern General Hospital and some 71 to the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield by 42 ambulances.
5pm: The South Yorkshire coroner, Dr Stefan Popper, gave instructions for the bodies to be kept in the gymnasium until they had been photographed and identified. By the end of the evening 82 people had been declared dead at Hillsborough. 12 more were declared dead in hospital.
Another person, Lee Nicol, survived for two days on a life support machine before he, too, died. The 96th victim of the Hillsborough disaster was Tony Bland. He survived until 1993, but with severe brain damage.
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