Paul Doyle, a former Royal Marine, has been sentenced to 21 years and six months in prison for ploughing his car into a crowd at Liverpool FC's Premier League victory parade in May. The 54-year-old from Croxteth, Liverpool, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, affray, 17 charges of attempted grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, nine counts of causing GBH with intent, and three counts of wounding with intent.
Sentencing judge Andrew Menary KC described Doyle's actions as driven by 'inexplicable and undiluted fury', saying he drove into crowds with 'persistence and disregard for human life' over a two-minute period, hitting more than 130 people. The judge rejected claims of 'momentary recklessness', stating Doyle simply lost his temper.
Doyle initially denied the 31 offences but changed his pleas moments before his trial was due to open. He told police he acted in a 'blind panic' after seeing a fan with a knife, but detectives disproved this claim. Dashcam footage showed Doyle swearing and shouting at supporters to 'move'.
The court heard that victims ranged from six months to 77 years old, including a survivor of the 2017 Manchester Arena terror attack. Doyle had a string of convictions in the early 1990s, including biting off a man's ear in a pub brawl, but had not offended for 32 years prior to the attack.
Merseyside Police described it as a 'miracle' no one was killed. Detective Superintendent John Fitzgerald said the force had supported 134 victims, spoken to over 1,500 witnesses, and gathered nearly 280 pieces of footage. Doyle was also disqualified from driving for three years after his release.
