A quiet morning of gardening and neighbourly chats in a Liverpool suburb gave way to an evening of horror on 26 May, when a man drove his car into a crowd celebrating a football victory, leaving 134 people injured.
From 'Nice Neighbour' to Perpetrator
Paul Doyle, a 54-year-old former Royal Marines Commando and cyber security expert, has now admitted his role in the violent incident. At Liverpool Crown Court, he changed his plea to guilty on multiple serious charges, including causing grievous bodily harm with intent and dangerous driving.
Just hours before the attack, residents on Burghill Road in Croxteth described Doyle as a seemingly ordinary "family man". He was seen tending to his front garden trees and walking his dog, engaging in friendly conversation. "He genuinely seemed like a nice man," one neighbour told the BBC, noting nothing unusual in his demeanour.
The Horrific Attack on Water Street
The scene turned to chaos just after 6pm on Water Street. Doyle, behind the wheel of his two-tonne Ford Galaxy Titanium, ploughed into pedestrians gathered to watch Liverpool FC's Premier League title victory parade. The injured victims ranged in age from a six-month-old baby to a 77-year-old woman.
Dashcam footage from Doyle's vehicle, which proved crucial to the prosecution, showed the driver becoming "increasingly agitated" by the celebrating crowds before accelerating into them. Merseyside Police stated his driving prior to the collision was aggressively dangerous, involving undertaking, lane jumping, and running a red light.
Aftermath and Impending Sentencing
In total, Doyle admitted to 31 offences relating to 29 specific victims. The sheer scale of the injuries—134 people reported hurt—led detectives to remark it was "sheer luck" that no one was killed.
The fallout has devastated the local community and Doyle's own family. His wife, a local teacher, was seen distraught outside their home the following day. The case has shattered the image of the "mentor" and "great teacher" described by former colleagues.
Paul Doyle is now awaiting his fate, with sentencing set for 15 December at Liverpool Crown Court, where he faces a substantial prison term for his acts of calculated violence.
