Hillsborough police chief faces tragic mum
HER face a picture of resolve, the mother of two Hillsborough victims stared down one of the five men charged over the disaster.
Jenny Hicks, who lost daughters Sarah, 19, and Victoria, 15, had been waiting for Norman Bettison and his co-accused to arrive at court yesterday. As the men passed, relatives of other victims held up pictures of lost loved ones.
Mr Bettison, 61, a former chief constable of Merseyside and West Yorkshire, is accused of misconduct for allegedly lying about his involvement in the disaster that killed 96 Liverpool fans. Two other retired officers – Donald Denton, 79, and Alan Foster, 70, – face charges of perverting the course of justice along with solicitor Peter Metcalf, 67.
Graham Mackrell, 67, the former safety officer of Sheffield Wednesday, the club which hosted the match in 1989, is accused of two safety offences. All five indicated yesterday they would plead not guilty. David Duckenfield, who was match commander and faces 95 counts of gross negligence manslaughter, has not yet been formally charged.
The 72-year-old cannot be charged over the death of one of the 96 – Anthony Bland – because he died almost four years later.
Around 30 relatives of the victims packed the public seating inside Warrington Magistrates Court. Lawyers sat in rows three-deep while more relatives watched the proceedings via a videolink.