‘Hero’ ex-soldier who climbed into Paul Doyle’s car to stop Liverpool parade rampage says ‘I’d do it again’
A “heroic” ex-soldier who climbed into the passenger seat of Paul Doyle’s car and ended his rage-filled rampage at a Liverpool FC victory parade has said he would “do it again”.
Daniel Barr, who managed to put the gear lever into park mode, said that he could not prevent Doyle, who was sentenced to 21 years and 6 months in prison for the attack, even if he “cut my arm”.
Before Mr Barr intervened, Doyle had injured 134 people on May 26 by plowing through crowds celebrating Liverpool FC’s Premier League victory.
Police and prosecutors praised the 41-year-old’s actions and said Doyle likely would have caused further injuries had he not intervened.
After sentencing Doyle, Liverpool’s registrar, Judge Andrew Menary KC praised Mr Barr’s “extraordinarily brave” actions and awarded him the High Sheriff’s Trophy, which includes a £250 prize money.
“At a moment when many people understandably feared for their safety, he ran towards danger, got into a moving vehicle and stopped it, thus preventing further injury and possibly saving lives,” he said.
Mr Barr, who suffered cuts to his head after a fight with the driver, said he was just doing what most people on the street were trying to do.
He said: “I don’t think it’s anything special. I know it sounds crazy. It hasn’t sunk in yet. Maybe it never will, but I’ll do it again.”
The builder’s worker, who served eight years in the Royal Engineers, including in Iraq, said he saw the “opportunity” to get in when the rear passenger door of Doyle’s Ford Galaxy stopped about five feet away from him.
He said: “My intention was to punch the window.
“Although it was only a second later, there were other people around the car and they were desperately, desperately and rightfully trying to get into the car.
“So I ran towards that window with full intention of whatever it would do, because I assumed that all the doors were locked and so no one could get in, and they pounded on the door.
“I tried the door at the last moment and it opened.”
Mr Barr, of Birkenhead, Wirral, crawled into the back seat and said as soon as he got into the car, Doyle sped off, causing the back door to slam shut.
His memory of his time in the car is “fuzzy” but he said he remembers the contrast between the screams, shouts and panic on the street and the relative silence inside.
He said he was under the impression it was a “family car” and Doyle asked, “Why don’t they get out of my way?” He remembered repeating the words:
He recalled looking for the car keys to stop Doyle and feeling the car “sliding” through the crowd “indiscriminately.”
He said: “Finally it might take like two seconds, I don’t know, I remember seeing the automatic gear lever, so I reached out from the back seat and pushed it into ‘P’ as hard as I could, as hard as I could, and that stopped the car.”
Mr Barr recalls fighting with Doyle, who tried to rev the car up while keeping the automatic transmission lever in park mode.
“He didn’t have a chance, he wasn’t going to move my arm. No way, he couldn’t have tried to cut it or anything. I remember that much.”
While he held the shift lever in place, he reached forward with his other hand and pressed Doyle’s seat belt buckle.
“As soon as I pressed it, it was gone,” he said. “The crowd was trying to get him out. As far as I remember, the windows were breaking, everyone was trying to get in, rightfully so.
“I pressed his seatbelt and he disappeared.”
After getting out of the car, Mr Barr continued on his way and later met his brother, who was also in town for the parade.
“I think I said something to him that made roughly sense while I was going a million miles an hour and then went out for a beer,” he said.
Praising his actions, senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector John Fitzgerald said: “There is no doubt in my mind that if Dan had not acted so bravely, Doyle would have continued driving and caused further injury.”
