Hillsborough Inquests: Police officer's 'surprise' at fan death

The jury heard Colin Ashcroft did not know any Liverpool supporters so went to games on his own

A police officer at the Hillsborough disaster has told a jury of his "surprise" at hearing a fan he was trying to revive on the pitch had died.

David Butler told the new inquests that up to that point he thought the fan was "just unconscious".

His evidence focussed on the death of 19-year-old Liverpool supporter Colin Ashcroft, from Warrington.

Ninety-six people died after a crush at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.

The fans who died had been standing in the central enclosures behind the goal at the Leppings Lane end of the ground, known as pens three and four.

Mr Ashcroft, described by his mother as "gregarious" with a "great sense of humour", left the family home after breakfast on 15 April and boarded a coach at Anfield.

The jury heard he arrived in Sheffield at about 14:10 BST and TV footage showed him inside pen four at 14:47.

'He's gone'

Mr Butler was on duty at the match and helped lift Mr Ashcroft off the terraces after the crush. He was seen on film helping to give him first aid at 15:20.

He told the inquests he cleared his airway, checked to see if he was breathing and then started giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

Christopher Rigby, a consultant surgeon, carried out heart massage and they were also aided by ambulance man Leslie Worrall.

Mr Butler told the court: "I had a memory of a doctor being escorted by another person and he felt.. for a pulse and he quickly said 'he's gone, move on'."

The jury heard Mr Butler was "surprised" when he heard that Mr Ashcroft had died.

He told the court that Mr Ashcroft was the first person he had known to be "declared deceased" that afternoon.

He added: "I think it was a realisation that they weren't just unconscious, that people may well be dead. I think it was a bit of a shock."

'Obviously dead'

In a statement made in 2013, Mr Butler said the supporter had "felt warm" and "looked alive".

When asked to explain his comments to the jury he said he wasn't "contesting that he was dead" and said that it was the first time that he had "dealt with a person who had died who was in this condition".

Mr Ashcroft was lifted onto a makeshift stretcher and carried across the pitch from about 15:25.

Police officer Andrew Mackay, who helped to carry the stretcher, said in his statement the teenager was "obviously dead".

Mr Ashcroft was eventually taken into the stadium's gymnasium, which was being used as a temporary mortuary.

He was among a group of 14 fans checked over by Dr Allan Redgrave, who worked in a medical centre near the stadium.

Dr Redgrave confirmed "life extinct" in all the fans he saw.

The inquests continue.

Who were the 96 victims?

BBC News: Profiles of all those who died