A man who drove his car into crowds at Liverpool FC's Premier League victory parade in May has been jailed for 21 years and six months. Paul Doyle, 54, 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 told Doyle he acted in an “inexplicable and undiluted fury” when he ploughed into more than 130 people in just two minutes. “To drive a vehicle into crowds of pedestrians with such persistence and disregard for human life defies ordinary understanding,” he said. Doyle, a former Royal Marine, claimed he acted in a “blind panic” after seeing a fan with a knife, but this was disproved by detectives.
The court heard that victims ranged in age from six months to 77 years, including a survivor of the 2017 Manchester Arena attack. Merseyside police said it was a “miracle” no one was killed. Senior officer John Fitzgerald said the sentence would not undo the harm caused, adding that the investigation involved 134 victims, over 1,500 witnesses, and nearly 280 pieces of footage.
Doyle had a history of violent outbursts, including a 1990s conviction for biting off a man's ear in a pub brawl. However, he had not committed any offences for 32 years prior to the parade attack. He was also disqualified from driving for three years after his release.
