Fury over £2m cost of Hillsborough trial
Cost is a disgrace says mother of fan, 18
A PIECE of soccer history crumbles as bulldozers move in at the hotel where the World Cup heroes of 1966 stayed.
Hendon Hall – where the likes of Sir Bobby Charlton were snapped – is being partially demolished to make way for a care home.
Our picture was taken in North West London by Ian Needleman, who
THE failed prosecution of the police chief in charge during the Hillsborough disaster cost taxpayers almost £2million.
Match commander Supt David Duckenfield faced two trials last year and the bill will be swollen by many millions more by the cost of his defence, police time and court time.
Mr Duckenfield was found not guilty of gross negligence manslaughter of 95 Liverpool fans who died at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final.
Margaret Aspinall, who lost her son James, 18, and is chair of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, said: “The amount spent is a disgrace and there’s still no justice. All this works in property. He said: “I was shocked. It is so sad. I remember going to the hotel restaurant with friends and reminiscing about the team staying there. It brings back so many memories of that magical afternoon at Wembley.”
England, who beat West Germany 4-2 in the final, played all their games at Wembley and made the five-mile taxpayers’ money and still no one has been held to account. What’s happened to the families is an insult and a disgrace.”
The prosecution alleged Mr Duckenfield, 75, had a “personal responsibility” for what journey from the hotel to the stadium on six occasions. The hotel, which closed last month, was originally 16th century Hendon Manor.
It became a hotel in 1911 and has also been a girls’ school and an RAF convalescence home.
That’s all in the past. And as TV’s Kenneth Wolstenholme almost said, they think it’s Hall over... it is now. happened at the game between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest – at Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough stadium.
The tragedy saw 96 men, women and children die after a crush on the Leppings Lane terrace. The prosecution involved all but one fan, who died more than a year after the horror. The Attorney General’s
Office was
England’s Bobby Charlton at hotel in 1966 asked the cost of the case by Tory Sir Christopher Chope, Mr Duckenfield’s constituency MP.
In a reply, staff referred to the case against him and Sheffield Wednesday’s Graham Mackrell, 69, who was fined £6,500 for a health and safety offence.
A statement said: “This was a complex and harrowing case. Every effort was made to build a robust case. The CPS estimates the cost for the prosecution of both to be £1.97million.
“The CPS cannot comment on costs incurred by police, courts, tribunal or any other partners.” phil.cardy@ mirror.co.uk