July 29 – Thirty-two years on, the Hillsborough disaster has claimed its 97th victim after a man left with life-changing injuries died at the age of 55.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the family of Andrew Devine said he died on Tuesday having never recovered from being crushed during the 1989 tragedy at an FA Cup semi-final.
“Our collective devastation is overwhelming but so too is the realisation that we were blessed to have had Andrew with us for 32 years since the Hillsborough tragedy,” said a family statement.
A coroner’s inquest ruled on Wednesday that he was unlawfully killed as a result of the disaster, according to the Liverpool Echo newspaper
His brain became deprived of oxygen leaving him wheelchair-bound and unable to speak.
A statement from Liverpool said they were “deeply saddened” by his death.
“A lifelong Liverpool supporter, Andrew continued to attend matches at Anfield when possible despite suffering life-changing injuries at Hillsborough on April 15 1989.
“In doing so he defied expectations that he would not survive for six months after the tragedy. The thoughts of everyone at the club are with Andrew’s family and his carers.”
In 2016, an inquest jury ruled 96 Liverpool fans had been unlawfully killed in the Hillsborough disaster.
Match commander David Duckenfield was cleared of gross negligence manslaughter at a retrial in November 2019, after the jury in his first trial was unable to reach a verdict.
Earlier this year, the trial of retired police officers Donald Denton and Alan Foster and former force solicitor Peter Metcalf, who were accused of perverting the course of justice following the disaster, collapsed after a judge ruled there was no case to answer.
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