THE jury in the Hillsborough Inquests has heard evidence from Lechlade mother Margaret Godwin, who lost her son Derrick in the 1989 disaster.

Margaret stood before Lord Justice Goldring and members of the jury at the hearing in Warrington yesterday, flanked by her daughter Valerie, with husband Stan and son-in-law Andrew sat behind.

Reading to the court, she said: “Derrick loved to watch football and when he went to work in Swindon, he joined the Swindon Town Football Club Supporters' Club and travelled to every away match with them.

“One day, he went to see Oxford United v Liverpool in a cup match and from then on he got hooked on Liverpool and the following season he became a season ticket holder on the Kop.

“His dad used to say to him, 'Always stand in front of the crush barrier', which we are sure that he did.

“For all home matches, he would drive to Cheltenham station, change trains at Birmingham and then on to Liverpool.

“He would meet up with his football colleagues on the Kop. Derrick did not drink, and he did not smoke.

“He was a regular young man with his whole life in front of him. He was our only son. From the moment of his birth until his death, he gave us untold joy.

“Every day we think about him and what might have been. I clearly remember that on the morning of the semi-final, when he left home, his dad said to him, 'I hope Liverpool win, Derrick', to which he replied, 'Oh, they will win, dad'.

“Little did we realise they would be the last words we would ever hear him say.”