Anna Bilonozhenko, a 43-year-old Ukrainian refugee who fled the war in her home country, has described being seriously injured in the Liverpool FC trophy parade as one of the most traumatic experiences of her life. She fractured her right knee when Paul Doyle's Ford Galaxy struck more than 130 people in two minutes.
Bilonozhenko, who moved from Kyiv to the UK with her 22-year-old daughter Sasha after Russia's full-scale invasion, said the attack felt like 'losing safety all over again'. Speaking after Doyle was sentenced to 21 years and six months in prison, she recalled the horror of being hit by the two-tonne vehicle.
'I remember pushing Sasha out of the way and holding on to the bonnet. The pain was unbearable because my leg was broken, but I knew I had to try and hold on so I wouldn't fall under the wheels and die,' she said. She spent nine days in hospital undergoing surgery and continues to suffer chronic pain and psychological trauma.
Doyle, 54, a former Royal Marine with a history of violent outbursts, was recorded screaming at supporters to 'fucking move' as he ploughed into the crowd. Judge Andrew Menary KC described the act as 'truly shocking'. Bilonozhenko said she had attended the parade to 'reconnect with something positive' after her mother's death, but the event turned into a nightmare.
She now lives in north Wales and hopes to overcome her injuries with rehabilitation, saying: 'I still hope that one day, we will both be able to feel safe again.'
