A 54-year-old British man, Paul Doyle, has changed his plea to guilty for driving his car into a crowd of Liverpool FC fans during the team’s Premier League victory parade in May. The incident injured over 130 people, including children as young as six months. Doyle, reportedly a former Royal Marine, pleaded guilty to 31 charges, including dangerous driving, affray, and causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
Doyle’s guilty plea came on the second day of his trial at Liverpool Crown Court, where he broke down in tears as he admitted to the charges. Prosecutors presented dashcam footage showing Doyle becoming increasingly agitated by the crowds before deliberately driving into them. Judge Andrew Menary warned Doyle that a custodial sentence was “inevitable” and would be of “some length,” with sentencing scheduled for December 15.
The incident occurred on May 26, when thousands of fans gathered in Liverpool to celebrate the team’s title win. The parade started at 14:30 BST, and Doyle’s car collided with the crowd on Water Street just after 18:00. Merseyside Police Detective Chief Inspector John Fitzgerald stated that it was “only by sheer luck that nobody was killed” due to Doyle’s reckless actions.
