Naylor's Father's Day Rampage
Liam Naylor, a 31-year-old plumber and father of two, was jailed for two years and 11 months at Liverpool Crown Court on Wednesday for running over John Amore outside the Queens Arms pub in Huyton on Father's Day last year. The incident occurred just 20 days after Paul Doyle's car rampage during Liverpool FC's Premier League title victory parade, which left scores injured.
Echoes of Doyle's Crime
Both Naylor and Doyle were family men from the eastern fringes of Liverpool with previously clean records. Doyle's rampage on Water Street in May 2025 saw him collide with over 100 people after being blocked by a road closure. Naylor's crime, though smaller in scale, bore similar hallmarks of road rage fueled by alcohol. He was more than double the drink-drive limit when he reversed his car into a wall, then swerved towards a group of men on the pavement, accelerating forward.
The Attack on John Amore
John Amore, 61, had gone to the pub to celebrate Father's Day. He tried to stop Naylor from driving away because he could see he was unfit to drive. Naylor ran over his right leg, fracturing it in two places. Amore spent five days in hospital after a nine-hour operation and skin graft, and took nine months off work. In a victim impact statement, he said: "As a result of this small man wanting to fight the world, my life has been altered for the rest of my life. Father's Day will never be the same for our family again."
Court Proceedings and Sentencing
Naylor pleaded guilty to dangerous driving shortly after the incident but only admitted to inflicting grievous bodily harm without intent last month. Recorder Anna Pope KC told him: "You used your car as a weapon. During the course of an argument, you had the upper hand, because you were in a car which you chose to use. This was a grave injury." The judge noted Naylor's remorse was genuine and that the offense was out of character, but said he made an extreme decision to drive in extremely dangerous circumstances.
Impact on Victims and Community
John Amore, formerly a keen runner, cyclist, and kickboxer, said his leg will never be the same. He added: "I've gone from an active man to not being able to work, provide for myself or enjoy activities I did before. His behaviour that day will stay with me forever and has changed my life for the worse forever." Naylor wept throughout the hearing, and his barrister described him as "hard working, well mannered, reliable, dependable."
