A family man lost his temper during Liverpool’s victory parade and used his car as a weapon, a Liverpool Crown Court was told. Paul Doyle, 54, cried as he faced a two-day sentencing hearing after pleading guilty to 31 offences linked to injuring people in the May parade. Prosecutors described how, in roughly two minutes, Doyle’s nearly two-tonne Ford Galaxy collided with well over 100 pedestrians as he sought to push through, seemingly prepared to cause serious harm to anyone in his path, including children.
Horrifying dashcam footage was shown in court, capturing Doyle shouting at bystanders to move and using abusive language as crowds scrambled to get out of the way. Pedestrians shielded their children and dragged prams from danger, while the windscreen shattered when a man struck it after jumping onto the vehicle.
Doyle wept as the video played, lowering his head and closing his eyes while the crowd recoiled from the attack. Victims and their families also appeared tearful during the screening. In November, Doyle admitted dangerous driving, affray, 17 counts of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent, nine counts of GBH with intent, and three counts of wounding with intent. More than 30 victims attended the hearing in person, with others watching from another room.
Prosecutor Philip Astbury read victim impact statements describing flashbacks and emotional and psychological harm. One mother recalled fearing for her infant son after his pram was flung into the air by the car, while another described the event as reopening trauma linked to the Manchester Arena attack in 2017.
Francesca Massey, 24, told the court that the Liverpool incident had rekindled memories of the Ariana Grande attack, reviving eight-year-old fears and the rush to escape a crowded venue. Prosecutor Paul Greaney KC said Doyle drove his grey Ford Galaxy Titanium from his Croxteth home into central Liverpool to fetch friends, noting that the city center was unusually busy with pedestrians on what should have been a day of celebration.
Doyle’s route took him onto Dale Street and toward Water Street, against the flow of most parade attendees. He initially drove dangerously, startling those nearby, and ignored traffic measures guiding vehicles away from pedestrians when they appeared at around 5:59 pm. By 6:01 pm, the Galaxy was halted on Water Street and fans attempted to drag Doyle from the vehicle before police intervened and arrested him. The prosecution argued that the actions turned the car into a weapon, causing widespread fear and injuries.
The defence contended Doyle acted in a panic and claimed he believed his life was in danger due to others’ behavior, though prosecutors rejected this explanation as untrue. Greaney asserted that the truth was straightforward: Doyle lost his temper and deliberately drove into the crowd to cause serious harm.
Doyle was arrested at the scene and later charged. The youngest identified victim was Teddy Eveson, a six-month-old boy who was thrown from his pram when the crash occurred. Doyle admitted to attempting to cause GBH to the baby, and several other injured victims could not be named for legal reasons.
