Hillsborough stories: Gary Philip Jones

An 18-year-old student from Liverpool, Gary Jones, travelled by minibus with several friends and his cousin, Paul Brennan, all of whom survived.

This is the full statement to the inquests from his sister, Julie Flannagan:

Gary Philip Jones was the youngest of four children to our parents, Maureen and Philip. He was born on 18 December, 1970 in Fazakerley Hospital, Liverpool.

He was raised in Liverpool his whole life. Gary had one older brother, Stephen, and two sisters, Catherine and myself, Julie. He was not only a brother, but a friend.

He was cheeky and looked to do as little as possible - always looking for Mum to do it for him.

Designer gear was his forte. Even then, he could be seen in Wade Smith picking the best pair of trainers.

Gary had a full and happy life and was well educated.

'Devoted fan'

He went to school at Blessed Sacrament Primary School, Aintree, and then Cardinal Allen Grammar School. After leaving school, Gary went into higher education at the Old Swan Technical College and then at Hugh Baird College, Liverpool.

He was hoping to pursue a career in electronics and I am sure that he would have succeeded. He was a very bright person who did well at all tasks that he undertook.

He loved all types of sport, especially golf, football, snooker and horse racing.

Even though our Dad is an Everton fan and tried to indoctrinate Gary as an Evertonian, Gary was a devoted Liverpool Football Club fan from probably the age of three or four.

He started going to Anfield regularly when he was about 14 years old and, when he turned 14 or 15, Mum and Dad bought him a season ticket and he attended all home games.

Unfortunately, the only away game he ever went to was at Sheffield on 15 April, 1989, a very fateful day or both Gary and us, his family.

Gary had many friends who all speak very highly of 20 him. He was our handsome, funny, cheeky little brother, who always put a smile on everyone's face.

'Miss his smile'

We miss his smile. We have happy memories of family holidays in the UK and abroad; family holidays since are always missing something.

Gary loved music, particularly The La's, Danny Wilson, Guns and Roses and Deacon Blue. Cathy bought him a ticket to see Deacon Blue in Liverpool, but he never got to see the concert.

At the concert, the band dedicated a song to him and gave Cathy a bouquet with a T-shirt and signed programme.

He was saving his 18th birthday money to buy a guitar, but he died before he was able to get it.

He had made plans to visit me in Spain on his own, where I was studying at the time of his death. It would have been the first time I had seen him since New Year 1989. He never made it.

He laughed more than he cried and brought happiness to all who knew him. To sum up, Gary was a very bright and extremely clever young man, very well liked and loved by all who knew him.

He would have exceeded in life at everything he did.