THE INQUESTS into the deaths of 96 football fans at Hillsborough including Bromsgrove’s Andrew Brookes, will not be completed for another year, the jury has been told.
Christina Lambert, counsel to the inquests which are being held in Warrington, made the announcement in court yesterday morning (Thursday) admitting it was longer than first indicated.
The hearings have now moved onto to the preparation and planning which took place on the day of the 1989 disaster and will cover the emergency response to the tragedy.
Ms Lambert said the topics would be concluded by January and then the inquests would progress onto the movements of each of the victims.
She added it was estimated the inquests would be absolutely completed in early July 2015.
Originally the jury and the families were told the proceedings would be finished by December this year with verdicts on each of the 96 fans delivered from November.
But at an early stage of the hearings Coroner Lord Justice Goldring announced the hearings were likely to take three months longer than expected and be completed in March.
Louise Brookes, sister of the late Andrew, said: “I am happy that the inquests are not going to be rushed and are going to be conducted thoroughly.
“But I am surprised now to learn that they are estimated to be finished in July 2015.”
