Liverpool parade driver to be sentenced

A driver who used a car as a “weapon” to plough through more than 100 people celebrating Liverpool’s Premier League title win is due to find out how long he will spend behind bars.

Paul Doyle, described as a “family man” by prosecutors on Monday, wept as footage of the horrific rampage was shown to the city’s crown court multiple times during the first day of a two-day sentencing hearing.

The court was told the 54-year-old was “in a rage” and his “anger had completely taken hold of him”.

Doyle previously pleaded guilty to 31 offences relating to seriously injuring people during the victory parade in May.

He is due to be sentenced later on Tuesday.

On Monday, prosecutors said in the space of two minutes, Doyle’s Ford Galaxy – which weighed nearly two tonnes – collided with “well over 100 people” and he was “prepared to cause those in the crowd, even children, serious harm if necessary to achieve his aim of getting through”.

Doyle admitted dangerous driving, affray, 17 charges of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, nine counts of causing GBH with intent and three counts of wounding with intent last month.

He had previously denied the offences, which relate to 29 victims aged between six months and 77 years.

A number of victim impact statements were read to the court by prosecutor Philip Astbury, with some speaking of “flashbacks” and their “emotional and psychological injury”.

Doyle sobbed as the words of some of those struck by his car, including children as young as 12, spoke of how the “best day ever” soon became the worst.

Horrifying dashcam footage was displayed to the court with the defendant heard shouting “move”, “f****** pricks” and “get out the f****** way”.

Pedestrians pulled their children out of the path of Doyle’s car to stop them from being hit, and the footage showed the windscreen smash after a man landed on it.

Following the rampage, Doyle told officers in the back of a police van: “I’ve just ruined my family’s life.”

Referring to the time period between 5.59pm and 6.01pm on May 26, prosecutor Paul Greaney KC said: “The prosecution case is that the defendant had used the vehicle as a weapon over that period of time.

“In doing so, he not only caused injury on a large scale, but he also generated horror in those who had attended what they had thought would be a day of joyfulness.”

Mr Greaney said Doyle was in the city to collect a friend and his family from the celebrations and that Doyle had “lost his temper”.

He added: “In a rage, he drove into the crowd, and when he did so, he intended to cause people within the crowd serious harm.

“He was prepared to cause those in the crowd, even children, serious harm if necessary to achieve his aim of getting through.”

Doyle was arrested at the scene in Water Street just after 6pm and charged later that week.

The youngest victim was six-month-old Teddy Eveson, whose parents later told media he was thrown about 15 feet down the road in his pram during the crash.

Doyle, of Croxteth, Liverpool, admitted attempting to cause grievous bodily harm to the baby.

Five other children, whom Doyle either injured or attempted to injure, cannot be named for legal reasons.