The efforts of a police officer on the pitch at Hillsborough may have helped to 'prolong' the life of Kevin Williams, the inquests heard.

The court, in Birchwood Park, Warrington, heard evidence on Thursday (October 1)about the 15-year-old from Formby.

His mum Anne, who lived in Chester prior to her death in 2013 after a battle with cancer, campaigned for the new inquests into the 96 deaths at the Fa Cup semi-final on April 15, 1989.

Anne Williams
Anne Williams

Speaking before the hearing, Anne’s brother Danny Gordon said it was “heartbreaking” she couldn’t be with the family at court.

The jury was shown footage of Kevin being carried out of pen three of the Leppings Lane terrace and onto the pitch at 3.28pm.

Police officer Michael Craighill was shown kneeling by Kevin and giving two sharp thumps to his chest area.

Mark George QC, representing Kevin’s family, told him: “After your evidence the jury are going to hear other evidence from people who were involved with Kevin after you and about their involvement, the assistance they gave to him.

Hillsborough inquests to begin hearing evidence about Formby 15-year-old Kevin Williams. Kevin's sister Sara Williams,outside the Coroner's Court.
Hillsborough inquests to begin hearing evidence about Formby 15-year-old Kevin Williams. Kevin's sister Sara Williams,outside the Coroner's Court.

“It may, in fact, be the case, it will be a matter for the jury to decide, that your assistance that afternoon helped prolong Kevin’s life.

Mr Craighill, who gave evidence via videolink from France, said he or someone with Kevin would have taken his pulse before he started to treat him, despite footage showing he was with the teenager for only six seconds before striking his chest.

He said: “As far as I’m aware, at that stage, there was no pulse.

“Hence the reason why I did the strikes to the chest.

But Stephen Hart - a Liverpool fan who helped to carry Kevin across the pitch - told the court he believed the teenager was alive.

Hillsborough inquests to begin hearing evidence about Formby 15-year-old Kevin Williams. Kevin's brother Michael Williams,outside the Coroners Court.
Hillsborough inquests to begin hearing evidence about Formby 15-year-old Kevin Williams. Kevin's brother Michael Williams,outside the Coroners Court.

Mr Hart, who described seeing Kevin with his eyes closed as he stood in the pen, said he had seen two police officers treating him at the Leppings Lane end and had then seen him lying on the ground on his own.

He said: “I noticed him because he was so young and I just seen him lying there and I thought, straight away, my first reaction was to pick him up and try and get him down the other end of the pitch for some help.”

He told the court: “There was no discolour in him.

“The only way I could describe it was like looking at someone who was asleep, that type of scenario.”

Mr Hart was shown on a photo carrying Kevin on a hoarding across the pitch.

Sara Williams at home in Formby with a picture drawn by brother Kevin that still hangs on the wall of her family home
Sara Williams at home in Formby with a picture drawn by brother Kevin that still hangs on the wall of her family home

He said: “We took him down the pitch and we - first thing we done - we saw a policeman and we asked him where we could put him and he pointed to a place for us to put him down and we did and, unfortunately, I did leave him there and I wish to this day I hadn’t.”

He added: “I was convinced, absolutely convinced, he’d get some sort of help.”

He told the court: “He just looked like he was asleep and I just thought, you know, he needs help, he needs help now, let’s just get him down to the other end and let somebody medically qualified take over.”

Mr George asked: “At the time you dropped Kevin off, and we know that you did, you left him on the pitch at the Kop end, at that stage, in your mind, you believed he was still alive?”

Mr Hart replied: “Yes.”

Anne Williams mother of Hillsborough victim Kevin Williams in 1999
Anne Williams mother of Hillsborough victim Kevin Williams in 1999

The court heard that in Mr Hart’s statement he had described a police officer covering Kevin’s head with a jumper before they carried the hoarding, but Mr Hart said that was not accurate.

He said: “That’s what I supposedly said in my statement, but I never said in my statement that somebody pulled the jumper over his face, ever.”

The court also heard from Liverpool fans who described seeing Kevin in the pen.

The jury was shown footage of him in pen three with friend Andrew Duncan before kick-off, but Mr Duncan said they had been separated after a surge pushed them forward.

Spectator Andrew Regan described someone he believed to be Kevin being crushed up against him as the crowd built up.

Anne Williams at the Hillsborough memorial
Anne Williams at the Hillsborough memorial

He said: “The young lad, on my left shoulder but his eyes were partially closed and he looked, at that time, in a bad state.”

He added: “If I remember, I said, ‘come on, try and keep your head up’.”

But, he said there was no response and Kevin seemed semi-conscious.

Supporter Kenneth Cooper also described seeing someone he believed to be Kevin in the pen.

He said: “I was aware that there was someone behind me.

“I believe he was sick, because I had vomit on my top.

“I believe he vomited on me. That’s who I believe it was.

Fans on the pitch at Hillsborough

“Eventually when the crowd eased back, I grabbed the railing, pulled myself up, because my brother was next to me and I was concerned about him and the image that I’ll never forget, was of the boy behind me falling backwards,”

He said the boy looked purple and appeared lifeless.

John Herbert told the court he had been in pen three when he had seen someone he believed to be Kevin move in front of him.

He said the boy’s head was pushed against his stomach.

He described the boy then moving to his right hand side and said he grabbed his shoulder.

But Mr Herbert said he lost consciousness in the crush and did not see the boy again after he came round.

He told the court the teenager was “definitely” alive when he saw him.

He said: “There were other people in there who were obviously dead or dying, who were purple, blue, you know, red, all different colours.

“He wasn’t, he was OK, colour wise.”

The inquests are due to hear a second day of evidence about Kevin today (Friday).