Police statements about the day of the Hillsborough disaster were changed to remove criticism that officers were ‘like headless chickens’ and ‘light on manpower’, a court heard today.
Peter Metcalf, 71, who acted as solicitor for South Yorkshire Police following the tragedy at the 1989 semi-final, Смотреть мультики онлайн бесплатно в HD KinoGo – tv.kinoggo.biz is charged alongside former senior officers Donald Denton, 83, and Alan Foster, 74, with perverting the course of justice.
They are accused of amending accounts of the day to ‘mask failings’ of police after the disaster on April 15, in which 96 Liverpool fans died.
Jurors at the Nightingale court sitting at the Lowry Theatre in Salford heard the alleged edits had focused on areas where the force had expected to face criticism at an inquiry led by Lord Justice Taylor.
But lawyers for Metcalf claimed the solicitor had been ‘honestly doing his job’, adding the ‘real perversion of justice’ is that he has to stand trial at all.
The court heard statements, which were reviewed by Metcalf, were edited to remove references to police officers being ‘like headless chickens’ and ‘light on manpower’.
Former senior South Yorkshire Police officers Alan Foster (left outside court) and Donald Denton (right), who are accused of perverting the course of justice
Defending, Jonathan Goldberg said: ‘The defence in a nutshell is that Mr Metcalf was honestly doing his job as a solicitor, no more no less, in accordance with the law and professional practice in 1989.
‘So from his perspective, the real perversion of justice is having to stand trial in his old age, for just doing his job.’
He said the Hillsborough disaster had become synonymous with ‘cover up’ but he predicted the jury would find no evidence to justify that.
He said: ‘Cover-up is and always was a libel, which has just grown exponentially in the media over the decades without justification.’
Peter Metcalf, 71, acted as solicitor for South Yorkshire Police following the tragedy at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final
Sarah Whitehouse, prosecuting, told the court that alleged amendments to the accounts had focused on areas where the force had expected to face criticism at an inquiry.
She said an account by Pc Peter Finnerty had originally said no instructions were given to police officers on the day of the disaster.
The court heard the statement read: ‘I am sure many of them, like me, felt like headless chickens running about.
‘I felt ashamed for quite a while that the police did not respond professionally after the deaths were established.’
A note in the original statement, which appeared to be in Foster’s handwriting, instructed a detective inspector to review the account and an amended version was produced without the comments, the court heard.
The jury was told another officer, William Crawford, said in his statement he thought the force was ‘very light on manpower’.
He said a group of officers would typically be stationed at the tunnel to direct fans away from the central pens, where the fatal crush at the FA Cup semi-final took place.
Metcalf, a partner at solicitors’ firm Hammond Suddards, suggested a review of those comments, Ms Whitehouse said.
She told the court: ‘The statement was amended by deleting all reference to the shortage of manpower and use of serials in the centre tunnel.’
In an account by Inspector Robert Creaser, references to a request to delay the kick-off and difficulties with police radios were removed, the court heard.
Ms Whitehouse told the court: ‘It is important to understand that the vetting process was targeted at reducing or removing references to the failings by the South Yorkshire Police.’
The trial expected to last up to 16 weeks at the Lowry Theatre in Salford (above)
The jury was shown a letter sent to William Woodward QC, who was representing the force at the inquiry, in which Metcalf said: ‘It seems to instructing solicitors that the objective to be pursued at the inquiry is the presentation of South Yorkshire Police in the best possible light, consistent with the facts that are brought out.’
Denton, Foster, and Metcalf each deny two counts of doing acts tending and intended to pervert the course of justice.
The charges relate to the amendment of police officers’ statements following the disaster on April 15 1989.
Ninety-six Liverpool fans were crushed to death in pens at the Leppings Lane end of Hillsborough Stadium at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest.
The trial is expected to last up to 16 weeks.