GAPS in evidence surrounding the death of Ian ‘Ronnie’ Whelan continue to leave his family with unanswered questions.

During the Hillsborough inquest in Birchwood today, Tuesday, jurors were showed footage of the final hours of the Liverpool Football Club season ticket holder.

The 19-year-old from Padgate died after going to watch his favourite team in the FA Cup semi final in 1989.

The inquest heard how Ian could be seen in a recording at 2.51pm cheering while stood in the crowd and raising his arms when the players’ names are announced.

But in later footage, Ian can be seen lying with his ‘head flopped back’ and more footage where his head is ‘flopped forward’ appearing to show him without any body tone while at the front of the pen.

During questioning, Dr Jasmeet Soar - an expert Anaesthetics consultant ¬- said: “I can confidently say that he is unconscious and unresponsive, but from that video footage alone, it wouldn't be possible to say whether he was breathing or had a heartbeat.” 

He also said he could not say with certainty if he was dead when he was carried to another part of the stadium on a hoarding or if he had died at an earlier point.

Dr Soar added: “From the evidence we have seen, there doesn’t seem to have been any resuscitation attempts at any stage.”

When questioned on whether Ian’s death was due to a ‘failure to provide the basic level of care’, Dr Soar said ‘it was not for him to say’.

But he added: “If interventions had taken place and he was either breathing or if cardiorespiratory arrest hadn't occurred and interventions had taken place, yes, that could have possibly prevented death."

During later questioning, pathologist Dr Nat Cary said the pathology alone doesn’t provide guidance as to Ian’s time of death because there are a wide range of possibilities.

He added they simply don’t know whether he had a heartbeat before 4.11pm.

He said: “That period of deterioration could indeed have occurred whilst he was in a pile of bodies. But equally could have occurred on the pitch when he was on his back.

“When it occurred when he was on his back, I don’t think anyone is able to say.”

The inquest continues.