After the pre-inquest review meeting, WMP sought guidance from Dr Popper about the cut-off time for the evidence that would be considered. This was a wholly understandable question, as WMP needed to know so that officers could determine what evidence should be included in the summaries.
Documents suggest that Dr Popper indicated an appropriate point would be once the first of those who died had been brought to the temporary mortuary at the stadium. WMP did not challenge this or disagree, but there was no specific reason for them to do so; it was a decision Dr Popper was not only entitled to make but actually had a responsibility to make.
The cut-off point for evidence was subsequently determined as 3.15pm, which was when the first ambulance arrived on the pitch. By this time, some of those who had died were already in the temporary mortuary. Others were still in the pens. The arrival of the ambulance was identified as a convenient marker, but more broadly the time was chosen as a point at which, based on medical evidence, Dr Popper believed all those who died were either already dead or had received the injuries that caused their death. Again, there was no evidence that WMP had any involvement in that decision.
The 3.15pm cut-off was then retained for the generic hearing.
