Meir family want justice for Hillsborough victim Paul Murray
POLICE investigating the Hillsborough disaster questioned a mother over whether her 14-year-old son had been drinking – as she went to identify his body.
Sandon High School pupil Paul Murray was one of the 96 Liverpool supporters killed as a direct result of police failings during the 1989 FA Cup semi-final at Hillsborough.
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TRAGIC: Paul Murray.
Documents made public for the first time this week unveiled the shocking extent of the police cover-up, revealing how officers altered files to shift the blame for the tragedy on to Liverpool fans.
Paul's parents, Tony, who went to the game with his son, and Edna Murray, of Meir, say the families of the victims have long suspected police of a cover-up.
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One of the shocking revelations to emerge was that blood samples were taken from every victim – including children like Paul and a 10-year-old boy – as police attempted to smear the supporters.
Mrs Murray, who is retired, said: "We knew right from the start that police were trying to shift the blame.
"I can't remember if I had just gone in to see Paul, or I was just about to.
"There were two police officers who asked me whether Tony would normally go for a drink before a game. They wanted to know everything about whether they went for a drink.
"At the inquest, the first thing they did was list the names and the blood alcohol content. My son's was nil, but why would they even test that?
"He was only just 14, he had his birthday three days before. The tickets were part of his birthday present. He was just so thrilled about it.
"Paul was very well loved. After he died people kept telling us things that we didn't know, like about him helping an old lady with her shopping."
Speaking to The Sentinel for the first time, Mr Murray, who took Paul to Hillsborough for the game, said: "Paul was great. He loved football and he was a Liverpool fan all his life.
"On the day, there was no organisation outside the ground.
"There wasn't any violence, just people trying to find out where to go.
"I was thinking, 'I'm going to get out, because it was getting a bit too much in the crowd'. Then the gate was opened and we walked in.
"No precautions had been taken to stop too many people getting through. We just walked in.
"Then the crowds just built up and built up. Paul got knocked over, I tried to pick him up, then I got knocked over. I was on the floor. That was the last time I saw him."
The couple were in Liverpool with other victims' families to hear the independent report on Hillsborough, which included the release of never-before-seen documents.
They are hoping the inquest into Paul's death – and other Hillsborough victims – which recorded a verdict of "accidental death" will be reopened.
They also want the people responsible for the cover up and the 'catalogue of failures' on the day itself, to be brought to justice.
Mrs Murray added: "We have still not got a death certificate for Paul. Tony refused to apply for it while it had that verdict. We found out later a lot of other families did the same."
Comments
by Johntoe
Friday, September 14 2012, 2:53PM
“WHAT kind of 'person' would 'red arrow' my previous post?
any guesses?”
by Robnoxious
Friday, September 14 2012, 2:16PM
“Were the real people that were to blame for this to happen the hooligan element of of so called supporters. Every club had them. organising punch ups , where and when. Before the match, during the match and after the match .Getting on and off buses, sitting on them whilst having the windows smashed by bricks , Going to and from the train station, escorted by the police, incase you got hijacked by these thugs, Been in and seen quite a few of them in that era , not of my making i might add, fortunately for me ,but not for everyone , i knew how to look after myself when ambushed. being very active in sport myself. The police always had a difficult during these times.I am not defending them wholeheartedly here, but there is the other side to this human tragedy that is being overlooked . Without this activity that was rife in the game at that time ,the emergency services might well have acted completely different on how it got handled.It is always easy after the event.Which again if statements were altered to try to attach this to crowd trouble, it was believable and they got away with it, because that was happening at the time. I can remember a match at Port Vale v Liverpool , gates being smashed open by the fans Railway Stand, fans flooded in. They had to put them on the track next to the pitch ,also someone fell through the roof of the stand ,when they decided to climb up who could have been killed.So no , other groups have played their part in the run up to this.Without that culture what was existing at that time i'm sure we would have had a different outcome.not at least to the extent of severity. But as it stands ,a sad loss of life. Should anyone need to be accounted for whatever reason,they should face the courts.”
by Johntoe
Friday, September 14 2012, 12:38PM
“SEE, we CAN agree on some things,”
by Anon_mow_cop
Friday, September 14 2012, 11:57AM
“It still beggars belief that people went to watch a football match like generations before them, and ended-up dead.”
by Johntoe
Friday, September 14 2012, 11:47AM
“Tragic story, I think most people who watched it unfold live on TV (as I did) Know there has been a massive cover up by the police, I hope criminal charges are brought against those responsible both for the cover up and for the incompetence that resulted in the deaths of so many innocent people who left home to watch a football match,.... never to return,
RIP the 96.”