Hillsborough steward 'sent fan back to terraces'

Peter Burkett (left) and Colin Wafer were among the victims of the Hillsborough disaster

A steward at Hillsborough directed a victim of the disaster back to the crowded terraces after he asked if there was another way into the ground, the new inquests have heard.

Peter Burkett, 24, was one of the 96 Liverpool fans who were fatally crushed in the crowd.

He told another fan that it was "murder" on the terraces as he walked away from the central pens.

The court also heard details of 19-year-old Colin Wafer's final movements.

The men were all standing in the Leppings Lane end of the stadium to watch Liverpool's FA Cup semi-final match against Nottingham Forest on 15 April 1989.

Mr Burkett travelled to the match with Jonathan Owens - who also died - and Michael Robertson.

Another fan, Anthony Turner, also spoke to Mr Burkett at the match.

Ninety-six fans died following crushing at the Leppings Lane end of Hillsborough on 15 April 1989

Mr Robertson said, after entering the terraces, the three of them became separated. He moved to the right to try to get away from "all the pushing" but his friends did not follow.

But he said they were "kind of pushed down the flood of people coming in".

The next time he saw Mr Burkett was when he was lying in the recovery position on the pitch.

The jury heard Mr Turner had "bumped into" Mr Burkett as he was walking back through the tunnel leading into the central pens.

Mr Turner said: "He basically said it was very bad. I think he said 'it's murder in there', or words to that effect.

"Basically it was a case of he was coming out because it was so bad."

Mr Turner said the two of them walked back up to the mouth of the tunnel, spoke to a man they believed to be a steward and asked if there was another way into the ground.

He told the inquests: "He pointed back down the tunnel and said 'just go in that way', as if that was the normal way to go in.

Who were the 96 victims?

BBC News: Profiles of all those who died

"I got the impression that it was as if he had been asked the same question again and again and he was like 'just go back down there'."

Mr Turner said he was not "100% comfortable" with going back that way but did so "with a certain amount of trust that that's the way to go".

He said they were "following the direction and advice" of the steward.

Mr Turner said they were soon "trapped" by other Liverpool fans who had also gone down the tunnel.

Once on the terraces they tried to stay together but were split up "pretty much immediately". Mr Turner said that "there was no way that we could stay together".

He continued: "[Mr Burkett] just looked around with a shrug and a half smile. He just looked at me and he said 'see you later' or words to that effect."

The jury saw video footage timed at 15:19 BST - 19 minutes after kick-off - which showed Mr Burkett lying among other fans who had been caught in the crush.

Andrew Barlow, a South Yorkshire Police officer at the time, was among several people who helped carry Mr Burkett.

A doctor assessed him at the stadium's gymnasium, which was used as a temporary mortuary, and confirmed he had died.

'Lively and bright'

The jury also heard about the final movements of 19-year-old Colin Wafer, a Liverpool bank clerk described by his family as "as lively and bright as his red hair".

The court was told there is no evidence about his journey to the stadium or how he got inside, but police found an unused ticket for the match among his possessions.

He was seen entering the Leppings Lane terraces at about 14:51.

Footage timed at 15:17 showed Mr Wafer lying towards the front of a section of the terraces known as pen three after the crush.

In pictures from 15:19, Liverpool fan Steven Allen was seen helping police pull him out of the pen on to the pitch.

Mr Allen, who was an officer in the Metropolitan Police, said he believed Mr Wafer was dead when he carried him.

Two female officers tried to resuscitate him on the pitch, but stopped after a St John Ambulance volunteer told them he had died.

One of the constables, Glenda Wood, then placed an anorak over Mr Wafer's face "out of respect".

He was later carried on a makeshift stretcher towards the stadium's gymnasium at about 15:30. A doctor there confirmed he had died.

Mr Wafer's brother, Ian Wafer, formally identified his body at 01:30 the following morning.

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