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Hillsborough inquests: Police told to 'blame fans' Hillsborough inquests: Police told to 'blame fans'
(about 1 hour later)
Police officers were told to put the blame for Hillsborough on "drunken, ticketless Liverpool supporters", the inquest into the disaster has heard. Police officers were told to put the blame for Hillsborough on "drunken, ticketless Liverpool supporters", the inquests into the disaster have heard.
Ex-inspector Clive Davis told the inquest jury he recalled a briefing given by Ch Supt Terry Wain two days after the tragedy. Ex-inspector Clive Davis told the jury he recalled a briefing given by Ch Supt Terry Wain two days after the 15 April 1989 tragedy in Sheffield.
Mr Davis said he was told by his boss to attend the meeting as it was a good opportunity to get noticed. Mr Davis said he was told by his boss to attend the meeting as it was a good chance to get noticed "career-wise".
Ninety-six Liverpool fans died after crushing at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final. Two of Mr Davis' superiors dispute his account of the meeting, jurors heard.
Mr Davis said he worked as an inspector in the force's research and development unit in 1989 and shared an office with his superior Ch Insp Norman Bettison. Mr Davis said he worked as an inspector in South Yorkshire Police's research and development unit in 1989 and shared an office with his superior Ch Insp Norman Bettison.
Police HQ briefing The jury heard Mr Davis went into work on the Monday after the disaster and Ch Insp Bettison told him about the briefing due to be held later that morning.
The jury heard Mr Davis went into work on the Monday after the disaster and Ch Insp Bettison told him about the briefing later the same morning. 'Discarded beer cans'
Mr Davis told this inquest Ch Insp Bettison had told him it would be good for the pair to attend the meeting. Mr Davis said Ch Insp Bettison had told him it was "the biggest thing to happen in South Yorkshire Police" and it would benefit them "to be a part of what was going to happen in the wake of it".
He told the hearing Ch Supt Wain opened the briefing, held on the fifth floor of South Yorkshire Police headquarters in Sheffield.He told the hearing Ch Supt Wain opened the briefing, held on the fifth floor of South Yorkshire Police headquarters in Sheffield.
Mr Davis said: "His words were, and I can almost remember them verbatim, that 'we were going to put the blame for this disaster where it belongs: on the drunken, ticketless Liverpool fans'.''Mr Davis said: "His words were, and I can almost remember them verbatim, that 'we were going to put the blame for this disaster where it belongs: on the drunken, ticketless Liverpool fans'.''
He recalled Mr Wain told the meeting officers should drive along the M62 to look for discarded beer or alcohol cans.
They were also told to speak to people living near Hillsborough and owners of local licensed premises to "look at the behaviour of Liverpool supporters", Mr Davis said.
'Early conclusion'
Mr Davis said: "This was a very high-level briefing. It was, if you like, a lead-off, a start-off... I suppose it would be like a call to arms almost."
He told the hearing Ch Supt Wain had "clearly" been "given a job to do" and his orders would only have come from the chief constable .
Mr Davis continued: "It was all still very much emerging, but to me, it seemed very early to come to such a decisive, definitive conclusion.
At the time in question, he said, the force's understanding of exactly what had happened was "embryonic".
He added: "It seemed early to me to have come to that conclusion, but this appeared to be the conclusion that people had reached."
No minutes from the meeting have been found.
The inquest, into the deaths of 96 Liverpool fans killed after crushing at the FA Cup semi-final tie, continues.
Who were the 96 victims?
BBC News: Profiles of all those who died
The jury heard that both Mr Wain and Mr Bettison dispute Mr Davis' recollections of the meeting. No minutes for the meeting have been found.
The inquests, held in Warrington, Cheshire, continue.The inquests, held in Warrington, Cheshire, continue.