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Paul Doyle has admitted guilt to all 31 charges relating to the incident in which he drove his car into a large crowd of Liverpool FC fans during a victory parade. The 54-year-old confessed to offenses including dangerous driving, affray, 17 counts of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, nine charges of causing GBH with intent, as well as three counts of wounding with intent. The Crown Prosecution Service described the event as “an act of calculated violence,” noting that Doyle’s actions on the evening of May 26th resulted in injuries to over 130 people. Throughout his court appearance at Liverpool Crown Court, the Croxteth resident was visibly emotional, breaking down in tears as he quietly pleaded guilty.
The attack took place during a celebration marked by thousands of supporters gathered across Liverpool. The parade, which began at 14:30 BST on May 26, featured the team bus traveling down The Strand near the end of Water Street. The incident occurred as the event was drawing to a close with fans dispersing. Around 18:00, Doyle crashed his Ford Galaxy Titanium into groups of people standing on Water Street, causing widespread harm. He was arrested immediately at the scene and subsequently charged within the same week.
Doyle’s offenses are linked to injuries affecting 29 individuals aged from six months up to 77 years old. Footage shared following the incident documented the chaos and the extent of the collision with the crowd. A jury had been selected for Doyle’s trial, but he changed his pleas to guilty before the prosecution opened its case. The former Royal Marine showed visible distress during pre-trial hearings, having appeared via videolink in prison and receiving support from family members during court proceedings. Recorder of Liverpool Andrew Menary KC informed Doyle that a custodial sentence of significant length was unavoidable. Sentencing was scheduled across two days in mid-December.
Sarah Hammond, chief crown prosecutor for the Crime Prosecution Service, highlighted that Doyle acknowledged his intent to drive into the innocent crowd. Referring to dashcam footage, she explained that Doyle became increasingly agitated as he neared the junction of Dale Street and Water Street and instead of waiting for crowds to clear, deliberately drove through them. Hammond characterized the act as one of purposeful violence, emphasizing that it was a conscious choice that turned what was meant to be a festive occasion into a traumatic event. Investigations by Merseyside Police revealed that Doyle had followed an ambulance through a temporarily lifted roadblock to Water Street. Detective Chief Inspector John Fitzgerald commented on the remarkable luck involved, noting that despite the recklessness causing collisions with over 100 people — some of whom were trapped under the vehicle — no fatalities occurred. He lamented how what was supposed to be a day of celebration instead inflicted lasting physical and psychological harm on many individuals
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