THE barrister defending Hillsborough match commander David Duckenfield has begun outlining what will be the key issues in his trial to the jury.

In an opening speech, Benjamin Myers QC told Preston Crown Court he would look at events 'critically and realistically' but in no way sought to insult Liverpool Football Club, its supporters or the city of Liverpool.

He accepted Duckenfield, who is charged with the gross negligence manslaughter of 95 Liverpool fans, had a duty of care to the supporters attending the 1989 FA Cup semi-final where the disaster happened.

He said: "Did David Duckenfield breach that duty? Did he fail to take reasonable care to uphold his duty to the care for safety of spectators? The prosecution say he did and they have spread their net wide.

"They have made him responsible for a great deal of things."

But, he said the extent of the alleged breach was unfair.

He said: "This is an issue, we suggest, you will have to decide whether the prosecution are right to hold David Duckenfield responsible for all the shortcomings there that they are blaming him for now."

Mr Myers said the next issue was whether it was reasonable and foreseeable to a competent match commander that, by failing to take reasonable care, there was a serious and obvious risk of death.

He said: "Should he have seen how what he was doing, or not doing, created a risk of death from crushing?

"The prosecution say the risk of death from crushing was so obvious that he should have done.

"That depends upon what happened doesn't it, and how it happened and what he knew in advance and what it is fair to expect him to have known.

"You will have to decide what David Duckenfield could have foreseen or should have foreseen.

"It's crucial to remember this, by foresight that means realising what might happen before it happens – not everybody being clever about it after the event."

Ninety-six men, women and children died in the crush in pens at the Leppings Lane end of the Sheffield Wednesday ground at the match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.

Four of the victims were from Warrington; 19-year-old Ian ‘Ronnie’ Whelan, of Duckworth Grove, Padgate, David Benson, aged 22, of Hall Nook, Penketh; 19-year-old Colin Ashcroft, of Strawberry Close, Locking Stumps; and Eric Hughes, aged 42, of Barmouth Close, Callands.