Liverpool FC parade driver pleads guilty in court

Paul Doyle has pleaded guilty on the second day of his trial to seriously injuring people when he drove into football fans celebrating Liverpool’s victory parade on May 26.

The 54-year-old admitted dangerous driving, affray, 17 charges of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, nine counts of causing GBH with intent and three counts of wounding with intent at Liverpool Crown Court on Wednesday.

A jury was sworn in for his trial on Tuesday but the following day, when the prosecution case was due to be opened, Doyle was asked to re-enter his pleas to the charges.

He sat with his head down and sobbed as he changed his pleas, speaking with a broken voice as he occasionally wiped away tears as the charges were read to him again.

He had previously denied the offences, all relating to the incident on May 26, which happened as crowds were gathered in the city to celebrate the football team’s Premier League title win.

Sending him down from the dock, Recorder of Liverpool Judge Andrew Menary KC said:

“It is inevitable there will be a custodial sentence of some length and you should prepare yourself for that inevitability.”

Doyle is due to return to court for a two-day sentencing hearing on December 15.

More than 130 people reported injuries after Doyle drove his Ford Galaxy Titanium into crowds on Water Street just after 6pm.

He was arrested at the scene and charged later that week.

The charges relate to 29 victims, aged between six months and 77 years old.

The youngest alleged victim was Teddy Eveson, whose parents later told media he was thrown about 15 feet down the road in his pram when the crash happened.

Doyle, of Croxteth, Liverpool, admitted attempting to cause grievous bodily harm to the baby.

Five other children, who Doyle is alleged to have either injured or attempted to injure, cannot be named for legal reasons.

The defendant, reportedly a former Royal Marine, was in tears at a number of pre-trial hearings when he appeared over videolink from prison.

He was supported in court by family members.

Thousands of Liverpool fans were in the city on the day of Doyle’s attack to watch the parade, which started at 2.30pm and travelled 15km before entering the city centre.

The team bus had travelled down The Strand, which passes the end of Water Street, before the incident and the parade was coming to a close, with supporters heading home.

In May, Merseyside Police said they believed the driver had followed an ambulance onto Water Street after a road block was temporarily lifted for crews to attend to a person having a heart attack.

Merseyside Police Detective Chief Inspector John Fitzgerald said:

“It is hard to forget the shocking scenes from that day. What should have been a day of celebration for the city turned into a distressing and frightening experience which we know continues to have a physical and psychological impact on many people.

“Thousands of people had gathered in the city to watch the Liverpool FC parade and it is only by sheer luck that nobody was killed because of Doyle’s reckless actions.

“In just seven minutes his dangerous driving meant that his car collided with more than 100 people, including children, in some cases trapping people underneath and causing serious injuries.”

Sarah Hammond, chief crown prosecutor for CPS Mersey-Cheshire, said:

“Paul Doyle has been held responsible for his deliberate actions that endangered lives and brought chaos upon a community”.

She added:

“By entering guilty pleas, Doyle has finally accepted that he intentionally drove into crowds of innocent people during Liverpool FC’s victory parade.

“Dashcam footage from Doyle’s vehicle shows that as he approached Dale Street and Water Street, he became increasingly agitated by the crowds. Rather than wait for them to pass, he deliberately drove at them, forcing his way through.

“Driving a vehicle into a crowd is an act of calculated violence. This was not a momentary lapse by Paul Doyle — it was a choice he made that day and it turned celebration into mayhem.”

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