July 28 – Three separate trials are anticipated for the prosecution of the six men facing charges over the 1989 Hillsborough stadium disaster.
Former Chief Superintendent David Duckenfield will face 95 charges of manslaughter and five other senior figures are to be prosecuted over the tragedy in which 96 people died.
Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service said that, if all the defendants all plead not guilty, three trials will take place.
Duckenfield, police commander on the day, and Graham Mackrell, secretary of Sheffield Wednesday at the time of the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, will be tried at the same time. Mackrell faces two charges under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
Ex-police solicitor Peter Metcalf, former Chief Superintendent Donald Denton and former Detective Chief Inspector Alan Foster, who are all accused in relation to alleged alterations to officers’ statements, will be the defendants in a separate trial.
All are accused of perverting the course of public justice or doing acts with intent to pervert the course of public justice.
Former police chief Norman Bettison, said to have committed misconduct in public office in relation to claims he made in the wake of the disaster, will be tried on his own.
All defendants, with the exception of Duckenfield, will appear at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, August 9.
The CPS said: “It is anticipated that there will be three separate trials, if the application above is successful and all defendants plead not guilty. However this will be subject to any representations that the defendants may wish to make and the ultimate decision will be made by the court.”
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