A court has heard how Paul Doyle deliberately drove his car into a crowd of football fans during Liverpool’s Premier League victory parade, intending to cause serious harm after losing his temper in traffic.
Doyle, a former Royal Marine and father of three, used his grey Ford Galaxy as a weapon when he entered Dale Street on May 26, prosecutors said. Dashcam and CCTV footage shown in court provided a minute-by-minute account of the attack, which injured 29 people aged between six months and 77 years.
Prosecutor Paul Greaney KC told the court that Doyle had earlier driven friends calmly into Liverpool city centre to attend the celebrations and planned to collect them later. However, when returning, his behaviour changed dramatically.
The court heard that Doyle began driving aggressively, running red lights and overtaking other vehicles. At around 5:54pm, he turned onto Dale Street, where pedestrian congestion and road restrictions frustrated him.
Dashcam footage captured Doyle shouting “Get off the road!” as crowds filled the street. Mr Greaney said Doyle appeared to believe he was “the most important person on Dale Street.”
The footage showed Doyle intentionally steering his 1.9-tonne vehicle into a lane packed with fans. He accelerated into the crowd while shouting abuse, causing people to flee in panic. The court ruled the footage too graphic for public release due to scenes involving children being struck and trapped beneath the vehicle.
One particularly disturbing moment showed Doyle’s car hitting a pram carrying six-month-old Eddy Eveson, sending it flying around 15 feet. Prosecutors said this should have been the point where Doyle stopped but instead, he continued driving.
“This was the time to stop,” Mr Greaney said. “But he pushed on regardless, caring nothing for those he had run over. In his rage, the defendant cared only to satisfy his own wish to get through the crowd.”
The court heard that Doyle reversed into the crowd twice before the car was finally stopped on Water Street, leaving several people, including children, trapped beneath it. As the footage was played in court, victims in the public gallery were seen weeping.
Doyle pleaded guilty last month to 31 offences, including dangerous driving, affray, 17 counts of attempted grievous bodily harm with intent, nine counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, and three counts of wounding with intent.
Summing up the prosecution’s case, Mr Greaney said: “Paul Doyle simply lost his temper. In a rage, he drove into the crowd, intending to cause serious harm to those in his way.”
