Family man used vehicle as weapon after losing temper during football parade

A family man lost his temper during Liverpool’s Premier League title parade and used his vehicle as a “weapon” by driving into more than 100 people to get through the crowds, a court heard.

Paul Doyle appeared in the dock at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday for his two-day sentencing hearing after pleading guilty to 31 offences relating to seriously injuring people during the victory parade in May.

Prosecutors said in the space of two minutes, Doyle’s Ford Galaxy – which weighed nearly two tonnes – collided with “well over 100 people” and he was “prepared to cause those in the crowd, even children, serious harm if necessary to achieve his aim of getting through”.

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 last month.

He had previously denied the offences, which relate to 29 victims aged between six months and 77.

Horrifying dashcam footage was displayed to the court on the first day of his sentencing hearing, with the defendant heard shouting “move”, “f****** pricks” and “get out the f****** way”.

Pedestrians pulled their children out of the path of Doyle’s car to stop them being hit, and the footage showed the windscreen smash after a man landed on it.

Doyle cried as the footage was shown to the court, putting his head down and shutting his eyes as the footage showed his car hitting crowds of supporters.

Victims in court were also in tears as the video was played.

Opening the facts of the case, Paul Greaney KC said: “The strong sense from the dashcam footage is that the defendant regarded himself as the most important person on Dale Street, and considered that everyone else needed to get out of his way so that he could get to where he wanted to get to.”

Referring to the time period between 5.59pm and 6.01pm on May 26, Mr Greaney told the court: “The prosecution case is that the defendant had used the vehicle as a weapon over that period of time.

“In doing so, he not only caused injury on a large scale, but he also generated horror in those who had attended what they had thought would be a day of joyfulness.”

Mr Greaney said Doyle was in the city to collect a friend and his family from the celebrations.

“That the defendant was initially motivated that day by kindness only serves to make what he did later the more staggering,” Mr Greaney said.

‘Lost his temper’

Addressing his motive, the prosecutor continued: “The truth is a simple one. Paul Doyle just lost his temper in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to.

“In a rage, he drove into the crowd, and when he did so, he intended to cause people within the crowd serious harm.

“He was prepared to cause those in the crowd, even children, serious harm if necessary to achieve his aim of getting through.

“So the truth is as simple as the consequences that day were awful.”

Mr Greaney continued: “The defendant was the one driving a 1.9-tonne vehicle.

“He was the one who needed to take care and who had a responsibility to the pedestrians ahead of him.”

Doyle was arrested at the scene on Water Street just after 6pm and charged later that week.

The youngest victim was six-month-old 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 either injured or attempted to injure, cannot be named for legal reasons.