Relatives could bring more prosecutions
VICTIMS’ relatives are to seek legal advice on whether they can press for prosecutions against eight other police officers who were investigated but not charged with any offences.
The families have the right to request the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) reviews its decision not to bring charges. They could even go to the High Court for a judicial review.
Trevor Hicks, whose daughters Sarah and Vicki were killed, said the families now needed time to “go away and think” about it. He said: “It’s a mixed bag. There are a couple of names that we didn’t expect and a few that we think have been omitted.”
Marcia Willis-stewart, a lawyer who represents a number of families, said: “There are various legal options open to the families where decisions have been made not to prosecute.”
Other bodies or individuals to escape prosecution include Sheffield Wednesday FC itself and South Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service.
In the case of the club, the CPS judged that in 1989, it was a different entity – Sheffield Wednesday PLC.
The ambulance service – criticised for its failure “to respond adequately to the unfolding disaster – avoided being charged as at the time it was a service provided by Trent Regional Health Authority, which has ceased to exist.
The names of the officers not charged have never been disclosed but it is understood one of them was Walter Jackson, the former Assistant Chief Constable, who was sitting in the directors’ box. He went to the police control room but did not assume command. He told the inquest he regretted not issu- ing the code word “catastrophe” which would have triggered a major incident response.
Superintendent Roger Marshall was also there and expressed his “profound regrets” at the inquest that he had not requested the kick-off be delayed.
The CPS also investigated three ambulance staff and concluded there was “insufficient evidence” to prosecute two senior ambulance officers.
There was enough evidence against a junior ambulance employee – his actions were “entirely inadequate” but could not be proved to have directly resulted in deaths, said the CPS.
But prosecutors decided it was not in the public interest to bring charges under the Health and Safety at Work Act. The conduct of the FA and one of its officers were also investigated but again the CPS concluded there was insufficient evidence to prosecute.