THE pilot in the Shoreham Airshow disaster got legal aid worth £380,000 while victims’ relatives had to fight for funding, it has been revealed.
Andrew Hill, 56, was cleared of the manslaughter of 11 men in 2015 after his plane crashed on top of cars on the A27 near Shoreham airport while he was performing a loop manoeuvre.
Eleven people died in the disaster, with 16 suffering injuries. Mr Hill suffered critical injuries.
He received taxpayer-funded legal aid for his defence following a seven-week trial in 2019.
The disclosure, obtained by the Sun via a Freedom of Information request, comes after victims’ families were told they have to wait until at least February for an inquest to start. The original inquest was supposed to be in September 2020, but was delayed because of Covid.
The new inquest has been provisionally booked from February 28 to April 22 at County Hall North in Horsham.
Families were only given help after a two-year battle with the Legal Aid Agency and many MPs pressing ex-Prime Minister Theresa May.
David Spencer of the Centre for Crime Prevention said: “This case illustrates all too clearly how the legal aid system is skewed towards the accused rather than the victim.”
Lawyer Sarah Stewart, whose firm represents nine families, said: “They should be afforded the same privileges.”
The Ministry of Justice said: “Our thoughts remain with the families and the coroner will ask questions on their behalf to get them the answers they deserve.
“Anyone facing a crown court trial can get legal aid subject to a means test but the money goes direct to their lawyers.”
The inquest for the disaster will be held without a jury, as stated by senior coroner Penelope Schofield in January 2020.
Ms Schofield said: "As a coroner, I will be able to make very detailed and reasoned factual findings which will be made public.
"It is my decision that the public interest can be better served by myself sitting alone."
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