Families ‘denied justice’ as crash pilot is cleared
FAMILIES of the Shoreham air crash victims last night said they had been denied justice after pilot Andy Hill walked free from court following a trial at the Old Bailey.
Eleven men were killed when Mr Hill’s vintage Hawker Hunter jet crashed into the A27 in West Sussex as he attempted a “bent loop” manoeuvre during the Shoreham Airshow.
He was charged with manslaughter by gross negligence and recklessly endangering the safety of an aircraft, but found not guilty after the jury spent over a day deliberating.
Prosecutors claimed that Mr Hill – a former RAF pilot and British Airways captain – had a “cavalier attitude” to safety and had taken unnecessary risks at previous air shows.
In 2017, a report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch ruled that the disaster was caused by pilot error after the plane flew too slow and too low during a loop manoeuvre.
But the 54-year-old denied the charges, insisting he had lost control of the jet when g-forces caused him to suffer a brief “cognitive impairment”.
Last night, the families said they felt let down by the system and suggested that Mr Hill’s defence meant it could never be safe for pilots to perform at air shows.
Leslye Polito, whose 23-year-old son Daniele was the youngest to die, said: “I feel extremely disappointed, very upset and primarily let down by the justice system when someone who has clearly made some very bad errors of judgment is allowed to walk free.”
Sue and Phil Grimstone, whose son Matthew, 23, lost his life when driving on the A27, said in a statement: “There seems to be no justice for our son Matthew and all 11 men ... Why are we allowing any form of aerobatics to be performed when there is now doubt concerning any pilot’s ability to avoid becoming cognitively impaired from the normal g-forces that will be experienced during an aerobatic display?”
Oliver Morriss, the nephew of victim Mark Reeves, said the defence cast doubt on the safety of air shows. He said: “It has been a long and complex trial and we feel that the success of Mr Hill’s defence of cognitive impairment could establish a worrying precedent and have far-reaching consequences.”
Mr Hill survived the crash when the cockpit of the 60-year-old aircraft broke clear and was thrown from the wreckage. Speaking outside the Old Bailey after the verdict, he issued a brief statement expressing his sorrow.
He said: “1,295 days ago, I lost control of an aircraft resulting in the deaths of Maurice Abrahams, Dylan Archer, Tony Brightwell, Graham Mallinson, Matthew Grimstone, Matt Jones, Daniele Polito, Mark Reeves, Jacob Schilt, Richard Smith, Mark Trussler. A number of people were injured.
“I’m truly sorry for the part I played in their deaths and it is they that I will remember for the rest of my life.”
Det Insp Jon Fanning, of Sussex Police, said he respected the verdict but defended the decision to bring charges following “a long, complex and unique investigation”.
Sarah Stewart, a partner at Stewarts, which represents many of the bereaved families, called for a wider investigation to prevent future tragedies. She said: “The families want answers and a verdict will go some way towards that. But it is only one part of the jigsaw.”
Mr Hill suffered fractures, a collapsed lung and serious bruising, but has made a good physical recovery.
‘The families want answers and a verdict will go some way towards that. But it is only one part of the jigsaw’