Hillsborough trial: Jury fails to reach verdict on police commander David Duckenfield

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Jurors have failed to reach a verdict on Hillsborough match commander David Duckenfield over the deaths of 95 Liverpool fans.

The 74-year-old had denied gross negligence manslaughter of the supporters, who died in the disaster at the FA Cup semi-final on April 15, 1989.

But the jury at Preston Crown Court was discharged today after failing to reach verdicts after eight days of deliberations.

Former Sheffield Wednesday club secretary Graham Mackrell, 69, however, was found guilty of failing to discharge his duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act in the trial at Preston Crown Court.

The CPS has indicated it will seek a retrial for Duckenfield.

About 60 family members gasped as the jury foreman told the court they could not reach a verdict for Duckenfield on which they were all agreed.

There were cheers as the guilty verdict for Mackrell was announced.

The jury had retired to consider their verdicts on Monday, March 25, after a 10 week trial and deliberated for 29 hours and six minutes.

The Hillsborough disaster took place as the ground in Sheffield hosted an FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.

The court heard Duckenfield, who was promoted to the match commander role less than three weeks before the disaster, ordered the opening of a stadium exit gate to relieve congestion outside the turnstiles allocated to Liverpool supporters.

Around 2,000 men, women and children then entered, many heading down a tunnel and into the Leppings Lane terrace where the crush took place.

The decision to prosecute came after a lengthy campaign by the victims’ families for the circumstances to be reinvestigated.

Under the law at the time, there can be no prosecution for the 96th victim, Tony Bland, as he died more than a year and a day after the disaster.

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