Paul Doyle pleads guilty to Liverpool parade charges

Paul Doyle has pleaded guilty to ploughing his car into a dense crowd of supporters at the Liverpool FC victory parade.

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.

The Crown Prosecution Service said it was an “act of calculated violence” when Doyle drove into the crowd on the evening of the 26 May, injuring more than 130 people.

The father-of-three, of Croxteth, Liverpool, sat with his head down and sobbed as he changed his pleas on the second day of his trial at Liverpool Crown Court.

Thousands of Liverpool fans were in the city on the day of Doyle’s attack to watch the parade, which started at 14:30 BST on 26 May.

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.

More than 130 people reported injuries after Doyle drove his Ford Galaxy Titanium into crowds on Water Street just after 18:00.

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

A jury was sworn in for his trial on Tuesday but he changed his pleas earlier as the prosecution case was due to be opened.

The charges relate to 29 people aged between six months and 77 years.

Doyle, 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 when he appeared earlier.

The Recorder of Liverpool Andrew Menary KC told Doyle it was “inevitable” he would be facing a custodial sentence “of some length”.

A two-day sentencing hearing was set for 15 and 16 December at the same court.

Sarah Hammond, chief crown prosecutor for the Crime Prosecution Service, said Doyle had finally accepted that he intentionally drove into crowds of innocent people.

“Dashcam footage from Doyle’s vehicle shows that as he approached Dale Street and Water Street, he became increasingly agitated by the crowds,” she said.

“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.”

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

Det Ch Insp John Fitzgerald said it was 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.

“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.”