Jill`s death was `accidental` according to inquest
On 22 August 95, at the end of a 5 day hearing into Jill Phipps death, an inquest jury in Coventry returned a verdict of accidental death. They ruled that neither the driver, Stephen Yates, or the police were to blame for the tragedy.

Jill Phipps brother Zab commented to the press afterwards, "The verdict reached did not bring out the gross inefficiences of police on that day. Anyone, trained or un-trained, could have got that lorry through the gates without running anyone over. From the family`s point of view we have heard a week of the most terrific cock-ups. The police stated that their actions had been planned by a specialist tactician, and that the day had been very successful." And Jill`s father Bob said, "It was a buck-passing operation as far as i`m concerned. There was a whole catalogue of mistakes all along."

During the inquest, an officer at the scene on the day told how he watched as Jill positioned herself under the wheel of the lorry and suggested that she did so because she wanted to die for the cause! Pam Brown, a fellow protester and close friend of Jill`s told the inquest this was definately not the case. "No way, that`s complete rubbish, Jill had everything to live for. She had just got a new house, she had her 10 year old son Luke - everything. There was no way either of us would have endangered our lives. I honestly think that the police lost control of the situation."
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