The 54-year-old was ‘completely sober’ when he ploughed into more than 100 men, women and children on Water Street
04:00, 16 Dec 2025Updated 06:20, 16 Dec 2025
A court sketch of Paul Doyle(Image: PA)
Paul Doyle ran a red light and undertook other vehicles on his journey into Liverpool city centre before he ploughed his car into crowds of fans during Liverpool FC’s title parade. The 54-year-old, of Burghill Road in West Derby, was said to have driven “aggressively and dangerously” while on his way to collect a friend who had been attending the celebrations on May 26 this year.
More than 100 pedestrians, ranging from babies to a 78-year-old woman, were then injured after being struck by Doyle’s Ford Galaxy on Water Street shortly after 6pm on that Bank Holiday Monday, as what was meant to be a day of joy turned into scenes of devastation and terror. Fifty casualties required hospital treatment in the aftermath of the appalling incident, although they were later discharged.
Doyle admitted a total of 31 charges in relation to the incident last month, with his guilty pleas coming on the day he was due to stand trial. He returned to Liverpool Crown Court yesterday, Monday, in order to be sentenced for his crimes.
Paul Greaney KC, prosecuting, said on Monday that Doyle’s journey to drop friend David Clark into town was “mundane” and the pair spoke about “house prices and schools, about football and about cars, about their common work in IT and about films and family matters”.
The prosecution also said Doyle, having dropped Mr Clark on Dale Street, was also aware of the traffic management systems in place. But the court heard after dropping Mr Clark and his young family in the city centre, Doyle drove “in a markedly more aggressive way than he had done while driving in, jumping lanes and undertaking other vehicles”.
And when he returned back into the city centre some hours later, again Doyle again drove aggressively, “routinely engaged in the undertaking of other vehicles and (running) a red light”. Mr Greaney said: “Paul Doyle instructed the satellite navigation system to take him to Castle Street, following which he accelerated to catch the cars ahead, then negotiated a roundabout before undertaking a series of vehicles and running a red light – all in a residential area.
“This conduct is far from the most culpable that the defendant engaged in that day, but it forms part of count 1, dangerous driving, and demonstrates that the safety of others was far from the priority of Paul Doyle even at that early stage. The defendant continued to press on, undertaking at least one other vehicle.”
Mr Clark messaged Doyle that the phone signal was poor in the city centre, to which the defendant said “no worries, I’ll be at Castle Street in about 10 minutes or so – will give you a buzz then”. Mr Clark soon responded that the Castle Street area was blocked, “so the defendant must have realised that his journey would not be straightforward”, Mr Greaney said.
The court heard Doyle drove down Byrom Street, towards the roundabout where he could exit onto Dale Street, “undertaking a series of other vehicles at the traffic lights…coming close to pedestrians, then taking the third exit despite having travelled almost the whole circuit in the left-hand lane”.
Mr Greaney later told the court that when Doyle arrived on Dale Street he repeatedly beeped his horn and swore at people in the street. His own dashcam, played to the court, then showed the chilling moment Doyle accelerated forward and rammed his way through crowds of LFC fans.
Doyle’s front windscreen was seen to crack upon impact with one parade attendee who was thrown onto his bonnet. Dozens of people were hit by the car, including children, but Doyle continued to shout: “F***ing move get out the f***ing way, f***ing hell. F***s sake move get out the f***ing way.”
The terrified faces of other victims were meanwhile clearly visible as they were struck by the car, some becoming momentarily trapped on the bumper as they were flung aside by the force of the vehicle.
Mr Greaney told the court that Doyle’s actions were not because of a terrorist ideology, nor were his actions due to drink or drugs or a defect with his two-tonne car. Instead, the prosecution said, “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. 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. The truth is as simple as the consequences were awful.”
The counts Doyle admitted included 17 charges of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent. The complainants in these matters were named as six-month-old Teddy Eveson, other boys and girls aged seven months, 10, 11, 13, as well as adults Jack Trotter, Jon Evans, Scott Dolan, Ashton Gilmore, Jacqueline McClaren, Jamie Fagan, Carl Martin, James Vernon, Emily Wright, David Price, James Weston and Ethan Gillard.
A further nine charges which he pleaded guilty to stated that he caused grievous bodily harm with intent to Helen Gilmore, Anna Bilonozhenko, Sheree Aldridge, Sam Alexander, Hannah O’Neill, Stefan Dettlaf, Christine Seeckts, Susan Passey and Aaron Cothliff. He finally faces sentence for three offences of wounding with intent against a 12-year-old boy, Simon Nash and Robin Darke, as well as matters of affray and dangerous driving.
It is anticipated that Doyle, who is represented by Simon Csoka KC and Damian Nolan, will not be sentenced by the Honorary Recorder of Liverpool Judge Andrew Menary KC until later on Tuesday. The hearing continues, with the ECHO providing live updates from courtroom 41.