The father of a teenage boy injured when a car ploughed into crowds at Liverpool FC's Premier League victory parade has condemned the driver, stating he 'could have stopped the car' and prevented the mayhem.
A Day of Celebration Turns to Trauma
Mason Osborne, who was 17 at the time, had travelled with friends to celebrate Liverpool FC’s title win on May 26 this year. The joyous occasion turned to horror when Paul Doyle, 54, from Croxteth, drove his Ford Galaxy into the crowds. Mason was struck by the vehicle as people were sent flying around him.
Nick Osborne, Mason's father from Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, described the 'absolute state of panic' he and his wife experienced after receiving a tearful phone call from their son. "He was in floods of tears saying, 'I think there's been a terror attack'," Mr Osborne recalled, noting that the signal then cut out, leaving them terrified and unable to find immediate information.
A Calculated Act of Violence
On Wednesday, Paul Doyle pleaded guilty to all 31 charges against him, including causing grievous bodily harm with intent. This came moments before his trial was set to begin, after he had initially denied all offences.
Prosecutors from the CPS stated that rather than a momentary lapse, Doyle's actions were deliberate. Dashcam footage from his vehicle showed he became 'increasingly agitated' by the crowds on Dale Street and Water Street. Instead of waiting, he 'deliberately drove at them, forcing his way through'. The car slowed at one point before accelerating again, hitting dozens of people and leaving at least four trapped beneath its wheels.
In total, 134 people were injured in the incident. Sarah Hammond, Mersey-Cheshire chief crown prosecutor, labelled the horrific event 'an act of calculated violence'.
Lingering Physical and Emotional Scars
Mason Osborne was taken to hospital with a suspected broken femur, which later turned out to be a burst blood vessel. The injury forced the promising football player to spend two months out of training, resting his leg and regularly applying ice. His friend's mother suffered a broken ankle.
Mr Osborne revealed the psychological impact on his son, who has since turned 18. "He has had quite a few sleepless nights," he said, adding that a subsequent family trip to Paris was cut short when Champions' League final celebrations there triggered anxiety. "The whole of Paris was like Liverpool but twice as bad... we had to quickly escape."
While acknowledging Doyle's guilty plea, Nick Osborne expressed his firm belief that the driver was in the right frame of mind to have made different choices. "He could have stopped the car, he could have done all the correct procedures that a normal-thinking person would have done," he stated.
Doyle will be sentenced next month, with Judge Andrew Menary KC, the Recorder of Liverpool, warning him to expect a 'custodial sentence of some length'.
