Hillsborough inquests - June 30

The Hillsborough inquests commenced on March 31, 2014 and are the subject of reporting restrictions that have been imposed by the Attorney General's office. Liverpool Football Club is respectful of these restrictions and will therefore only be making available updates from other media channels for the duration of the inquest.

The report below - and the witness testimony contained within it - does not necessarily reflect the views of Liverpool FC. Please be aware that the reports on these pages will contain evidence about the day of the disaster which may be distressing.

To view archive reports from each day of the inquest hearings, click here.

Courtesy of the Liverpool Echo - June 30

The friend of a Liverpool FC fan who died at Hillsborough told of having difficulty breathing during a crush in one of the pens.

The inquests into the 96 deaths today heard evidence about the last movements of Gordon Horn, a 20-year-old from West Derby.

The court was told Gordon was a big Liverpool FC fan and on the day of the disaster travelled to Sheffield from Liverpool on a minibus with friends.

A statement made in 1989 by Andrew Dodd, one of Gordon’s friends, was read today by Matthew Hill, counsel to the inquests, which described a crush in what is thought to be pen four.

Mr Hill said: “Mr Dodd said that the heat was intense and that he had difficulty breathing. He said that he was concentrating on keeping his head up to take air in, as he felt unable to expand his chest, due to the pressure of the crowd.

“Mr Dodd says that at times his feet left the floor and there was a constant feeling of pressure, rather than surging. Mr Dodd then saw a gap on the terrace next to a barrier and he made for that gap.

“He said that as he did this Gordon went to the left. At that point Mr Dodd lost sight of Gordon.”

Adrian Mark Agar, a constable with South Yorkshire Police at the time of Hillsborough, told the jury today that on April 15, 1989, he was on duty in Sheffield when he was called to the stadium.

He helped carry a casualty from the Leppings Lane end of the pitch and later found out this was Gordon Horn.

Mr Agar said Gordon was not conscious and he believed him to be dead.

He said: “I looked at him and he was extremely pale, there was no signs of life in his face or any movement from him. For me, I had no doubt that we were removing - they were already removing - someone who had passed away, from the pitch.”

Mr Agar helped to lift the hoarding carrying Gordon along with a group of others, from whom today’s inquests also heard, around 3.33pm.

Gordon was taken around the back of the north stand and placed outside the gymnasium on the floor.

Mr Agar said there was a police officer directing people where to put casualties who told them where to lay Gordon.

He confirmed he saw no change in condition or signs of life during the time he spent with Gordon and added his face was “very pale, ashen”.

Timothy Southwell, another police officer who helped carry Gordon out of the stadium, also gave evidence today.

He said Gordon appeared dead and he helped carry him onto some advertising hoarding.

He confirmed he remembers someone, he thinks a fire officer, pointing to Gordon and saying something to the effect of “take that one”.

Mr Southwell confirmed his statement from 1990 that “it was not possible to get into the gymnasium because the doorway area was a mass of bodies”.

The inquests heard police officers Mr Southwell and Mr Agar were helping some Liverpool fans carry Gordon.

One of these fans was Gary Williams-Verrall, who attended the match at the age of 16 with two friends.

He had been in pen four but escaped onto the pitch and later assisted casualties.

Mr Williams-Verrall confirmed today he helped carry a person now known to be Gordon.

He said: “I assumed he was unconscious. No movement.”

Mr Williams-Verrall said he didn’t perform any checks on Gordon to test for signs of life and didn’t see anybody else perform checks or treat him.

He said: “I assumed we were just - he’d gone and we needed to move him.”

Mr Williams-Verrall attended the match with friend Mark Griffiths, who gave evidence today via video link from New Zealand.

Mr Griffiths, who was 18-years-old at the time, was also in pen four before escaping onto the pitch and then helping casualties.

He told the hearing today someone directed them to take Gordon: “I vaguely remember somebody pointing and saying ‘Him, take him, take that one’, something like that.”

Mr Griffiths said he assumed Gordon was conscious but did not see any signs of life.

Stephen O’Shea, a South Yorkshire Police constable at the time of the Hillsborough disaster, confirmed today that when he first saw Gordon he was being carried by a group of people towards him in the area between the north stand and the gymnasium.

Mr O’Shea went to help the group and they carried Gordon to outside the gymnasium doors where they laid him down.

He said Gordon was unconscious and his face was “very pale” and that he checked for a pulse but did not find one.

Mr O’Shea told the jury: “We did start CPR but it didn’t - after a very short while we were stopped. A doctor said to cease.”

He said he then took Gordon into the gymnasium and at 4.02pm Dr Andrew Byrne certified Gordon to be dead.

Sean Horstead, representing Gordon’s family, asked Mr O’Shea if he was certain he performed CPR on Gordon and not another casualty.

He replied: “I am not certain now who I performed CPR on, no.”

The inquests heard Gordon’s body was taken from the door outside the gymnasium inside by a PC Geoffrey Andrew Young.

There Dr Andrew Byrne, a consultant anaesthetist who attended the match as a fan, confirmed he was dead.

Douglas Hardaker, one of Gordon’s friends who travelled with him to the match, identified his body at 12.10am on Sunday, April 16, 1989.

Earlier today the hearing heard the conclusion of evidence from yesterday regarding the final movements of Colin Ashcroft, a 19-year-old gardener from Warrington.

Consultant surgeon Christopher Rigby, who attended the Hillsborough match as a spectator, provided care to a large number of casualties on the pitch.

He said because he helped so many different casualties it was difficult to remember each one afterwards.

Mr Rigby confirmed he was in a photograph and video clip at 3.20pm showing him performing chest compressions on Gordon.

He said it was likely he did check for a pulse before starting chest compressions but “the condition of these patients was such that a visual assessment was often sufficient to warrant starting compressions”.

Mr Rigby said he may have taken responsibility for terminating resuscitation but on the day was handing over some casualties to other helpers before moving on to treat other patients.

The inquests continue.