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| Hillsborough inquest: chief inspector is told ‘you are covering up your cover-up’ | Hillsborough inquest: chief inspector is told ‘you are covering up your cover-up’ |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A South Yorkshire police officer who was involved in changing another officer’s statement and worked for an internal evidence-gathering unit after the Hillsborough disaster has denied being “a key figure in the cover-up” that allegedly followed. | A South Yorkshire police officer who was involved in changing another officer’s statement and worked for an internal evidence-gathering unit after the Hillsborough disaster has denied being “a key figure in the cover-up” that allegedly followed. |
| David Beal, a chief inspector in the force on 15 April 1989, when 96 people died at the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, also told the new inquest into the disaster that he was offended by the accusation that his inability to recollect conversations with officers afterwards amounted to him “trying to cover up your cover-up”. | David Beal, a chief inspector in the force on 15 April 1989, when 96 people died at the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, also told the new inquest into the disaster that he was offended by the accusation that his inability to recollect conversations with officers afterwards amounted to him “trying to cover up your cover-up”. |
| Beal denied that South Yorkshire police had set out to “smear” Liverpool supporters and to blame them for causing the disaster, and that the force decided to collect evidence of alleged heavy drinking by fans to support this campaign. He also said that every official notebook completed by officers who were on duty at Hillsborough may have been destroyed by South Yorkshire police, due to a force policy of destroying notebooks after seven years, although Beal’s notebook starting three days later, 18 April 1989, survives. | |
| Beal told the inquest he cannot now recall any conversations he had with Ch Supt Brian Mole, the officer experienced in commanding football matches at Hillsborough, who was replaced by the inexperienced Ch Supt David Duckenfield, 19 days before the semi-final. | Beal told the inquest he cannot now recall any conversations he had with Ch Supt Brian Mole, the officer experienced in commanding football matches at Hillsborough, who was replaced by the inexperienced Ch Supt David Duckenfield, 19 days before the semi-final. |
| Beal said that after the disaster, when he was working for Mole and contributing background “research” to a South Yorkshire police report – known as the “Wain report” after another of the senior officers involved with it – he did not recall Mole discussing what had caused the lethal crush on the Leppings Lane terrace. | |
| Patrick Roche, representing 75 families whose relatives died at Hillsborough, put to Beal: “Are you seriously trying to tell this jury that you and Mr Mole never discussed what had gone wrong?” | Patrick Roche, representing 75 families whose relatives died at Hillsborough, put to Beal: “Are you seriously trying to tell this jury that you and Mr Mole never discussed what had gone wrong?” |
| Beal replied: “I am seriously telling the jury that 25 years later I do not have recollection of conversations with Mr Mole.” | Beal replied: “I am seriously telling the jury that 25 years later I do not have recollection of conversations with Mr Mole.” |
| “What I suggest to you,” Roche continued, “is you were one of the key figures in the cover-up.” | “What I suggest to you,” Roche continued, “is you were one of the key figures in the cover-up.” |
| “I strongly object to the word ‘cover-up’,” Beal said. “I wasn’t a key figure in any cover-up. I’m sorry, but I’m offended by that, I really am.” | “I strongly object to the word ‘cover-up’,” Beal said. “I wasn’t a key figure in any cover-up. I’m sorry, but I’m offended by that, I really am.” |
| “You were a key figure in the cover-up,” Roche put to him, “and you are reverting to the pretence you can’t remember what happened because you are afraid to give any detail, any honest answers about what happened.” | “You were a key figure in the cover-up,” Roche put to him, “and you are reverting to the pretence you can’t remember what happened because you are afraid to give any detail, any honest answers about what happened.” |
| “That’s totally, totally incorrect and out of order,” Beal replied. | “That’s totally, totally incorrect and out of order,” Beal replied. |
| The court heard that in May 1989,Beal had personally ordered a constable, Michael Walpole, to the force’s headquarters. Walpole had been on duty in the control room at Hillsborough and was refusing to change his statement about what happened, which was to be forwarded to the official inquiry by Lord Justice Taylor. Walpole told the current, new investigation into the disaster that he feared being disciplined and bullied, after Beal told him to see another chief inspector, Alan Foster, and talk about his refusal to sign an altered statement. | The court heard that in May 1989,Beal had personally ordered a constable, Michael Walpole, to the force’s headquarters. Walpole had been on duty in the control room at Hillsborough and was refusing to change his statement about what happened, which was to be forwarded to the official inquiry by Lord Justice Taylor. Walpole told the current, new investigation into the disaster that he feared being disciplined and bullied, after Beal told him to see another chief inspector, Alan Foster, and talk about his refusal to sign an altered statement. |
| “I did find it strange that the message to attend wasn’t just passed to me from either control room or a telephone call,” Walpole told the new investigators, in an interview that was read to the inquest. “I remember this made me feel as though I was in trouble, and I would be disciplined if I did not do as I was told. | “I did find it strange that the message to attend wasn’t just passed to me from either control room or a telephone call,” Walpole told the new investigators, in an interview that was read to the inquest. “I remember this made me feel as though I was in trouble, and I would be disciplined if I did not do as I was told. |
| “From my experience I knew that officers who did not toe the line would suffer from bullying by supervisors and their careers would suffer.” | “From my experience I knew that officers who did not toe the line would suffer from bullying by supervisors and their careers would suffer.” |
| Beal confirmed to the inquest that he had given the order to Walpole to attend at headquarters, but said he had done so out of “protocol”, and had not known what Ch Insp Foster wanted to discuss. | Beal confirmed to the inquest that he had given the order to Walpole to attend at headquarters, but said he had done so out of “protocol”, and had not known what Ch Insp Foster wanted to discuss. |
| He was referred to changes made after the disaster to an account given by another police constable, Michael Goddard, who had also been on duty in the police control room at Hillsborough. Goddard had referred to the police radios, which did not work properly in 1989, not working in 1988 either, when pop music came through them for long periods. This reference to the previous year’s semi-final was deleted from a new version of Goddard’s statement, and a replacement paragraph, in Beal’s handwriting, was shown to the jury. Goddard has since told investigators he knew “absolutely nothing” about the changes that were made to his statement. | He was referred to changes made after the disaster to an account given by another police constable, Michael Goddard, who had also been on duty in the police control room at Hillsborough. Goddard had referred to the police radios, which did not work properly in 1989, not working in 1988 either, when pop music came through them for long periods. This reference to the previous year’s semi-final was deleted from a new version of Goddard’s statement, and a replacement paragraph, in Beal’s handwriting, was shown to the jury. Goddard has since told investigators he knew “absolutely nothing” about the changes that were made to his statement. |
| Beal said he had not made the changes, and had only been recording the changes that had been made by somebody else; he said he did not know by whom. | Beal said he had not made the changes, and had only been recording the changes that had been made by somebody else; he said he did not know by whom. |
| The inquest heard that another police constable, Anthony Holmes, told the Independent Police Complaints Commission, in March this year, that Beal personally put pressure on him to agree changes to his statement, which were being urged on Holmes by West Midlands police, the force appointed to investigate the disaster. | |
| The court was read Holmes’ account to the IPCC, in which he described a meeting with Beal, on the fourth floor of South Yorkshire police’s Snig Hill headquarters, at which he said Beal became “agitated,” “stricter,” and told Holmes he could not understand why he would not do “what was being asked.” Beal said in response: “I don’t recall this happening at all.” | |
| He agreed with Roche that pressurising a police officer to change his statement, which Beal denied doing, would amount to perverting the course of justice, a criminal offence. | |
| Questioned by Pete Weatherby QC, representing 22 families whose relatives died in the disaster, Beal confirmed that his official police notebook covering the disaster itself has not subsequently been found, although a notebook he started on April 18 1989, three days later, was retained. Beal said it was possible this was due to the South Yorkshire police policy, to destroy notebooks seven years after they were completed. | |
| “Is that a sensible answer,” Weatherby asked him. “Are you seriously suggesting that the [notebook] dealing with the disaster is destroyed, and from three days after the disaster they have survived?” | |
| “No,” Beal said, “but what I am suggesting to you is that every book prior to that will have been destroyed, or may have been destroyed.” | |
| Questioned by Jonathan Hough, for the coroner, Lord Justice Goldring, Beal said he could not recall his involvement in the “review” of statements, but he was not “troubled” by it, because it was done on the instruction of South Yorkshire police’s solicitors, Hammond Suddards. He said he did not find it “odd” that he could not remember what Hough called “quite a remarkable process, the changing of officers’ statements for a judicial inquiry of this importance”, because: “My powers of recollection for this entire process has been difficult.” | Questioned by Jonathan Hough, for the coroner, Lord Justice Goldring, Beal said he could not recall his involvement in the “review” of statements, but he was not “troubled” by it, because it was done on the instruction of South Yorkshire police’s solicitors, Hammond Suddards. He said he did not find it “odd” that he could not remember what Hough called “quite a remarkable process, the changing of officers’ statements for a judicial inquiry of this importance”, because: “My powers of recollection for this entire process has been difficult.” |
| Roche put to him: “Isn’t this true: you were involved in the cover-up and you are now trying to cover up your cover-up? | Roche put to him: “Isn’t this true: you were involved in the cover-up and you are now trying to cover up your cover-up? |
| “Do I need to reply to that question?” Beal responded. | “Do I need to reply to that question?” Beal responded. |
| “Yes,” said Roche. | “Yes,” said Roche. |
| “I’m totally offended by it, and I still think you are out of order.” | “I’m totally offended by it, and I still think you are out of order.” |
| Approximately 50 people whose relatives died in the disaster, mostly parents who lost children, listened quietly in the converted courtroom in Warrington as Beal gave his evidence. | Approximately 50 people whose relatives died in the disaster, mostly parents who lost children, listened quietly in the converted courtroom in Warrington as Beal gave his evidence. |
| The inquest continues. | The inquest continues. |