Hillsborough inquests: Fans 'held teen up in crush'

Philip Steele was a 15-year-old altar boy who got caught in the crush

A Liverpool football fan whose brother died in the Hillsborough disaster has told a jury how he was held up by other supporters as the crush worsened.

Brian Steele, 13 at the time of the 1989 tragedy, said he did not see 15-year-old Philip after the crush began.

A nurse, who tried to help at least six casualties, also told the inquests he asked for oxygen which never came.

Ninety-six football fans were fatally injured at the Liverpool versus Nottingham Forest FA Cup semi-final.

The 200th day of the new inquests heard Philip and Brian Steele, from Southport, went to watch the match with their mother and father, Dolores and Leslie, who had tickets for the seated area above the Leppings Lane terraces.

Altar boy Philip was described by his mother as having a "lovely smile". She said she "never heard her son say a bad word about anyone".

The brothers were seen on CCTV going through the turnstiles at 13:52 BST. They had left their parents shortly after arriving in Sheffield to secure a good spot to watch the match.

'All I could see was the sky'

Part of Brian's 1989 witness statement was read to the court, in which he said: "It was as the players were coming out or just prior to the players coming out that the first crush started.

"At this time Philip was with me. I was pushed towards the goal in this crush. I don't know what happened to Philip and I didn't see him after the first crush.

"There were people all around me and I couldn't see anything. I had to put my head up to breathe and all I could see was the sky."

Brian Steele said he did not know how long the crush lasted, but eventually the pressure released and he made his way out.

He added that during the crush he "started to fall to the floor" before someone grabbed his jumper.

"For quite some time my feet weren't on the floor by the person holding my jumper and other people keeping me up."

Philip was taken out of the pen and given first aid on the pitch.

Nurse John Boyle said he worked with a St John Ambulance volunteer to try to resuscitate Philip but after "three or four minutes" he decided there was nothing more he could do.

David Thomas was given treatment on the pitch by a nurse

The jury heard David Thomas, 23, travelled to Sheffield with friends, including brothers Christopher and Kevin Traynor, who also died.

The jury also saw a picture of Mr Thomas, a joiner from Birkenhead, among the crowd in pen three timed between 15:06 and 15:08.

He was given treatment on the pitch by David Evans, a charge nurse and senior ward manager from Liverpool, and Dr William Purcell, Sheffield Wednesday's club doctor.

In a statement, Mr Evans said he and Dr Purcell worked on at least six casualties on the pitch and "one or two" started breathing again.

Summarising his statement, Christina Lambert QC, for the coroner, said: "He says he and Dr Purcell asked for oxygen tanks but were unable to get any during this time."

BBC footage from the day showed Mr Evans and Dr Purcell working on Mr Thomas between at least 15:26 and 15:33, when he was put into an ambulance. The medic on board said by the time he saw him, "unfortunately there was no chance" of saving him.

Another casualty who was breathing was put into the vehicle and treated as a priority.

Both Mr Thomas and Philip Steele were taken to the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield. Their bodies were later brought back to the stadium where their families identified them.

The inquests, sitting in Warrington, Cheshire, are due to resume on Tuesday.

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