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Hillsborough trial: Jurors shown amended Hillsborough police account

PA Media Alan Foster, Donald Denton and Peter MetcalfPA Media
Alan Foster, Donald Denton and Peter Metcalf each deny perverting the course of justice

A PC's account of the Hillsborough disaster was changed to remove criticisms of police, but notes about drunk fans were kept in, a jury heard.

PC Maxwell Groome was on duty for the match at Sheffield Wednesday's stadium.

Jurors were told parts of his statement were removed from a copy sent to the force investigating the 1989 disaster.

Retired Ch Supt Donald Denton, 83, retired Det Ch Insp Alan Foster, 74, and former solicitor Peter Metcalf, 71, deny perverting the course of justice.

Ninety-six Liverpool fans died as a result of a crush at the stadium during the club's FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest.

Jurors sitting at the Nightingale court at the Lowry Theatre in Salford were shown original and amended versions of the statement.

Parts which were removed included a line which said: "The control room seemed to have been hit by some sort of paralysis."

Sarah Whitehouse QC, prosecuting, showed the court a fax sent from Mr Metcalf to Mr Denton which deemed the reference to "control room paralysis" was "comment".

In the fax, Mr Metcalf also said a list of numbered paragraphs in the statement were "helpful" but "not appropriate for inclusion in a statement of fact".

Hillsborough victims
Ninety-six Liverpool fans died as a result of the tragedy on 15 April 1989.

The court heard that Mr Groome's account:

  • Questioned why the kick-off had not been delayed
  • Queried a 10% reduction in police manpower compared to the previous year
  • Suggested control room staff were not used to pressure
  • Claimed policing at Hillsborough had become "complacent"
  • Described the organisation of the match as "poor"

Those remarks were all crossed out and did not appear in a later copy of the statement which were sent to West Midlands Police, which was investigating the disaster.

However, two items on the list remained in the statement, including a paragraph relating to drunken spectators and fights breaking out at a league match in a previous season, the jury was told.

A line which said in previous years Ch Supt Brian Mole, the former match commander, would walk around the pitch track also stayed in the statement.

However, the remark "but this did not happen this year" was deleted from the end of the sentence, the court heard.

The jury was shown notes which said Mr Groome objected to signing the statement.

The trial continues.

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