Liverpool Parade Carnage: Driver Admits 31 Charges
Survivors of the horrific Liverpool victory parade incident say they remain haunted by unanswered questions after former Royal Marine Paul Doyle admitted his guilt in court. The 54-year-old father-of-three dramatically changed his plea on Wednesday, confessing to 31 offences related to the May 26 attack that left 134 people injured.
Victims Relive Trauma Daily
Despite avoiding a trial through his guilty plea, lawyers representing the most severely injured victims revealed their clients continue to suffer. Chantal Rabbetts, director of serious injury at Bond Turner, stated: "The high-profile nature of this case and the severity of their injuries means that our clients are having to re-live the events of May 2025 every single day."
The IT consultant originally claimed he was fleeing an imaginary knifeman when he deliberately drove his Ford Galaxy into crowds celebrating Liverpool's League title win. Police later confirmed it was "only by sheer luck that nobody was killed" during the rampage that many witnesses initially feared was a terrorist attack.
Heroic Intervention Ends Attack
The terrifying incident only concluded when a brave supporter managed to enter Doyle's moving vehicle through a back door and shift the automatic gearbox into park. This courageous act finally brought the two-tonne people carrier to a halt, preventing further casualties.
Prosecutors revealed that damning dashcam evidence showed Doyle's driving had become aggressive even before encountering the parade crowds. The footage captured him undertaking other vehicles and running red lights during his 25-minute journey from his £300,000 Croxteth home to Liverpool city centre.
Doyle has now admitted multiple serious charges including:
- Dangerous driving
- Affray
- 17 counts of attempting to cause GBH with intent
- 9 counts of causing GBH with intent
- 3 counts of wounding with intent
The offences relate to 29 victims aged between six months and 77 years old, highlighting the widespread impact across multiple generations of football fans.
Friends Claim Remorse Amid Legal Strategy
A close friend who has regularly visited Doyle in prison told the Daily Mail that the self-described 'ethical hacker' is "sorry for what has happened." The friend claimed Doyle had been advised to initially plead not guilty, though he had always been open about his actions.
"At no point was he ever going to say that he hadn't done it," the friend stated, while insisting there was a "massive difference" between panicking and intentionally setting out to harm people.
However, prosecutors were prepared to argue that Doyle's account of panicking was false, and that he actually lost his temper and drove into the crowd deliberately. Mobile phone footage showed fans bouncing off the bonnet of his vehicle as he swerved at speed through the packed streets.
Doyle will return to Liverpool Crown Court next month for sentencing, where he faces a substantial prison term for his actions during what should have been a joyous community celebration.
