A man who drove his car into a crowd of Liverpool Football Club supporters during a victory parade has been sentenced to more than two decades in prison, as shocking details of his violent past emerge.
A "Weapon" Used in a Rage
Paul Doyle was jailed for 21 years and six months on Tuesday, 20 December 2025, after a court heard he used his vehicle as a "weapon" while "in a rage" over the number of people in the road. The incident occurred earlier this year during the club's title-winning parade celebrations, leaving multiple people injured.
Former Teammate Recalls a "Monster"
A man who played football with Doyle in the mid-1990s has come forward with disturbing accounts of his explosive temper. The former teammate, who asked to remain anonymous, was part of the Liverpool Christian Life Centre's football team, which Doyle joined after living with regular church attendees.
He described Doyle as a "brilliant goalkeeper" but said everyone was "actively aware of his struggles." The man recalled Doyle as being at times a "lovely man" and, at others, "a monster."
"Doyle would explosively react if he was not happy," the former teammate told the Echo. He revealed that games sometimes had to be called off, and apologies made to opposing teams, due to Doyle's behaviour.
The McDonald's Joke That Led to Violence
The most chilling anecdote involves an assault triggered by a joke about Doyle's employment. "On one occasion, I wasn't there, but I heard a guy who was part of the church made a joke," the man said.
"I don't know if Paul was still studying at the time, but he was working as a manager at McDonald's. The guy wasn't having a go at him, he was just messing around, but I heard that Paul knocked him out cold. I was shocked."
The former teammate said he felt a sense of responsibility and had to apologise profusely to the victim. He expressed profound sadness at the recent news, stating: "When I saw the news and saw it was Paul, it was a worst case scenario."
Reflecting on their time knowing Doyle, he added: "We knew about his early years. The fact he had major, major problems. They became our problems as well when he started to come to the church. But we also saw the other side of him."
The sentencing brings a close to a case that horrified the city of Liverpool and the wider football community, while revelations about Doyle's history paint a picture of a man long battling with severe anger issues.
