A former Royal Marine has been sentenced to 21 years and six months in prison for driving his car into a crowd at Liverpool FC's Premier League victory parade in May. Paul Doyle, 54, admitted 31 offences, including dangerous driving, affray, and multiple counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
Sentencing at Liverpool Crown Court, Judge Andrew Menary KC said Doyle acted in an 'inexplicable and undiluted fury' when he ploughed into crowds, hitting more than 130 people in just two minutes. The judge noted that Doyle's actions were not momentary recklessness but a loss of temper, and that driving into crowds with such persistence defied ordinary understanding.
The court heard that victims ranged in age from six months to 77 years, and included a survivor of the 2017 Manchester Arena terror attack. Doyle had claimed he acted in a 'blind panic' after seeing a fan with a knife, but police disproved this. Dashcam footage showed him swearing and shouting at supporters to move.
Doyle had a string of convictions from the early 1990s, including one for biting off a man's ear in a pub brawl, but had not committed any offences for 32 years prior to the parade attack. He pleaded guilty to all charges moments before his trial was due to begin.
Merseyside Police described it as a 'miracle' that no one was killed. Senior officer John Fitzgerald said the case was one of the force's most extensive investigations, involving 134 victims, 1,500 witnesses, and over 700 statements. He added that no sentence could undo the physical and psychological harm caused.
