Man who drove car into Liverpool FC parade crowd changes plea to guilty during trial
The man who drove a car into a crowd of football fans celebrating Liverpool FC's Premier League triumph earlier this year has now pleaded guilty to all of the charges against him.
Paul Doyle had previously denied the slew of offences related to the horror incident on 26 May, which left 134 injured.
Thousands of people had lined the streets of Liverpool to enjoy the club's victory parade when a Ford Galaxy Titanium drove into into the crowd at around 6pm on Water Street.
Prosecutors said that 'what should have been a day of celebration for the city' quickly turned into chaos, as dozens of football fans were left seriously injured due to the driver's 'act of calculated violence'.
Advert
And now, on the second day of his trial at Liverpool Crown Court, Doyle has changed his plea to guilty.
The 54-year-old from Croxteth admitted to 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.
Doyle sat with his head down and sobbed as he re-entered his pleas in court, just 24 hours after a jury was sworn in for his trial.
Doyle has spent the last six months behind bars after being arrested. His charges relate to 29 victims, aged between six months and 77 years old.
The youngest victim was six-month-old Teddy Eveson, whose parents described how he was thrown about 15 feet down the road in his pram when the crash happened. Doyle admitted attempting to cause grievous bodily harm to the baby.
Five other children injured in the crash cannot be named for legal reasons.
The defendant, who is reportedly a former Royal Marine, was in tears at a number of pre-trial hearings when he appeared over videolink from prison. A number of his family members were also seen in court.
The jury of seven men and five women was dismissed in the wake of Doyle's admission of guilt, and a two-day sentencing hearing has now been scheduled to begin on 15 December.
Judge Andrew Menary KC remanded Doyle in custody until then and warned that he will receive a 'custodial sentence of some length', adding that he should brace himself for this 'inevitable outcome'.
Sarah Hammond, chief crown prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service in Mersey-Cheshire, said she hopes Doyle's plea change 'brings a measure of justice for an act that caused unimaginable harm'.
"Paul Doyle has been held responsible for his deliberate actions that endangered lives and brought chaos upon a community," she said.
"This attack did not just harm individuals - it struck at the heart of a city united in joy, leaving fear in its wake."
Hammond said that dashcam footage from Doyle's own vehicle showed how he became 'increasingly agitated by the crowds' while driving through the city centre, the Liverpool Echo reports.
"Rather than wait for them to pass, he deliberately drove at them, forcing his way through," she continued. "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. I would like to commend the bravery of emergency services who acted swiftly at the scene.
"There can be no doubt that their actions saved lives. Liverpool as a city has shown resilience and unity in the face of this awful act, and I hope the victims, their families and anyone affected will feel justice has been done."
Merseyside Police previously said they believed that the driver had gained access to Water Street after following an ambulance when a roadblock was temporarily lifted for crews to attend to a person having a heart attack.
Olivia Burke