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A father whose two daughters died in the Hillsborough disaster has described to a jury the pain of having to choose which one to abandon as the tragedy unfolded.
Trevor Hicks had gone onto the pitch to search for Victoria and Sarah after the 1989 FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest was stopped because of the crush.
Mr Hicks told Preston Crown Court he found them lying on the ground ‘almost side by side’ and believed they were both still alive.
When an ambulance arrived he helped lift 15-year-old Victoria into it, but Sarah, 19, was still on the pitch.
Mr Hicks said: “That was probably the worst moment of my life. Do I stay or do I go?”
He decided to go with Victoria, thinking Sarah would be brought to hospital soon afterwards. But after waiting for her in A&E – she never arrived.
Victoria and Sarah were pronounced dead on the day.
Police Match Commander David Duckenfield denies the gross negligence manslaughter of 95 Liverpool supporters.
The 96th victim, Tony Bland, is not included on the indictment as he died more than a year and a day after his injuries were sustained.
Mr Duckenfield’s defence team argues he did not have ‘special powers’ to foresee the disaster and should not be held accountable for the failures of others.
Sheffield Wednesday’s Safety Officer at the time, Graham Mackrell, denies breaching safety regulations.
Earlier Barry Devonside, whose son Christopher was killed at Hillsborough, broke down whilst giving evidence.
He watched the tragedy unfold from the North Stand, and told the jury fear came over him ‘from head to foot’ when he realised what was happening in the Leppings Lane terraces.
“It escalated into something horrendous,” Mr Devonside told the court. “I saw police officers pushing back into pen three those who were fighting for their lives to get out of that pen.”
Unable to find Christopher, Mr Devonside went to a gymnasium nearby where bodies had been taken.
He was confronted by a police officer who ‘treated me like I was dirt on his shoes’ and shouted at him, Mr Devonside continued.
He was told to wait where he was, and, after ‘what seemed like a lifetime’, he was shown the body of his son, who had died at the age of 18.
Liverpool supporter Steve Allen was a Metropolitan Police officer in 1989 and was in pen three as a fan when the crush took place.
He told Preston Crown Court: “People were shouting in agony. People were in pain. People were screaming to get out.”
In case the on-duty police officers were sceptical of the pleas, Mr Allen held up his badge for them to see.
The trial continues.