Ealing Football Fan ' Unlawfully Killed' at Hillsborough

Emotional scenes as inquest jury rules on 96 deaths

A Liverpool fan from Ealing was one of the 96 unlawfully killed at Hillsborough an inquest jury ruled today (26/April)

Joseph McCarthy, known as Joe, from Amherst Road in W13 was just 21 when he lost his life at the FA cup semi final against Nottingham Forest on April 15th 1989.

At the beginning of the new inquests in 2014, Joe’s cousin, Anthony Goggins, read a statement to the court describing him as ''a natural leader, confident without being arrogant”. He said of the Sheffield University student:

“Joe was one of life’s good guys. He was genuinely a lovely human being, full of you with a zest for life. We all miss him.”

The jury was told he was one of two children born to devout Roman Catholics Sean and Anne McCarthy, and went to Mount Carmel Primary School in Little Ealing Lane before moving on to Cardinal Vaughan school in Kensington. He was an award-winning gymnast, and captained the first XI football team, played for the cricket team, he became a prefect and chairman of both the debating society and the economic/business society.

The inquest was told that footage showed a casualty, identified as Joe, being carried out of pen three of the Leppings Lane terrace to the pitch at 3.26pm - 20 minutes after the match was stopped because of the crush.

A policeman told the court he made 'cursory' checks but did not attempt CPR  - Joe was pronounced dead at 3.55.

Hundreds of mourners attended his funeral on May 2 1989, held at Ealing Abbey.

The inquest jury ruled that match commander Ch Supt David Duckenfield was "responsible for manslaughter by gross negligence" due to a breach of his duty of care. Police errors also added to a dangerous situation at the FA Cup semi-final. After 27-years of campaigning by the 96 victims' families, the behaviour of Liverpool fans has been exonerated.

There were emotional scenes outside the courtroom today (26/04) and a chorus of "You'll Never Walk Alone" sung as people raised Liverpool flags above their heads.

(Hillsborough memorial at Anfield picture credit Peter Gould)

26th April 2016