Hillsborough Inquests: 'No life' in Kevin Williams, 15, fan says

A fan caught up in the crush at Hillsborough has spoken of seeing a 15-year-old boy fall back into the crowd with "no life in him".

Kenneth Cooper was on the terraces when he believed he saw Liverpool supporter Kevin Williams. "I just noticed his eyes. I got no response."

Kevin's mother Anne led the campaign for fresh inquests but died months after they were ordered in 2012.

His family said it was "heartbreaking" to be at the inquests without her.

Ninety-six fans were fatally injured during the Liverpool versus Nottingham Forest FA Cup semi-final held in Sheffield on 15 April 1989.

'Never forget'

Kevin, who was "mad about Liverpool Football Club", had travelled from his home in Formby, Merseyside.

Kevin Williams, 15, travelled to the match with three friends

CCTV shown to jurors captured Kevin in the pen celebrating the team's line-up announcement.

Mr Cooper said that when the crowd eased back he grabbed the railing and pulled himself up and as he turned he believed he saw Kevin.

"The image I will never forget is the one of the boy behind me falling backwards.

"His face was near purple, eyes bulging out of his head and there was no life in him and I believed, I'm not a medical professional, but I believe he had already died by then.

"Because the pressure eased, the bodies just fell back. I just remember this body falling back."

Pete Weatherby QC, representing the Williams family, questioned whether the boy Mr Cooper identified was Kevin.

Mr Cooper said that Liverpool fan was Kevin Williams.

Another supporter, Andrew Regan, said Kevin had been "crushed up" behind his left shoulder and believed he was semi-conscious.

He said: "All I remember is I said 'come on, try and keep your head up'. I just noticed his eyes. I got no response."

Fatal crushing broke out at the Leppings Lane end of Hillsborough stadium on 15 April 1989

Earlier, CCTV showed Kevin and his friend Andrew Duncan, 16, who both had standing tickets for the Leppings Lane end of the ground, going through the turnstile at 12:58 BST.

Mr Duncan said they went to pen three behind the goal because it "seemed to be a better view" and "we had plenty of room at the time we picked out".

He did not see his friend again after they were separated during the surge when the match kicked off, the inquests heard.

He previously said he heard Kevin say: "It's a bit packed isn't it?"

A poignant day in court

Judith Moritz, BBC North of England Correspondent

Today was the day that Anne Williams spent more than 20 years fighting for, but didn't live long enough to see.

She campaigned for a new inquest into the death of her 15-year-old son Kevin.

Mrs Williams refused to accept the death certificate she was offered - and took her case through the British and European courts.

The original verdicts were eventually quashed at the High Court in 2012 but a few months later Anne Williams died, shortly after being diagnosed with cancer.

Today her family said it was heartbreaking to finally attend the coroner's court without her.

The new Hillsborough inquests, which began in March last year are expected to run until 2016.

Kevin's mother became a high profile campaigner but died in April 2013 after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Speaking before the hearing, her brother Danny Gordon said: "It is heartbreaking for us today to be here without Anne and she can't be here for our Kev after all the work she has done over the years.

"She didn't want us to walk away from it so we had to carry on where she left off, but she had done all the work anyway - we are only representing her really."

Earlier the inquests heard about the final moments of another of the victims, 18-year-old Jonathon Owens.

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

Who were the 96 victims?

BBC News: Profiles of all those who died