Liverpool parade crash sentencing – latest: Paul Doyle facing lengthy prison term after admitting violently driving car at football fans
A former Royal Marine who deliberately drove a car into fans during a Liverpool parade will appear at a sentencing hearing at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday.
Sarah Hammand, chief prosecutor for Merseyside Crown Prosecution Service, said Paul Doyle, 54, of West Derby in Liverpool, drove his 1.9-tonne Ford Galaxy into a crowd of people in “a calculated act of violence”, injuring 134 people.
His victims ranged from a 77-year-old to a six-month-old baby.
Doyle, who first denied 31 charges related to the incident on May 26, admitted all charges on the second day of his trial last month and sobbed uncontrollably from the defendant’s chair while saying “guilty” on each charge.
The 31 offenses include nine counts of causing grievous bodily harm, 17 of attempted grievous bodily harm, three of wounding with intent, dangerous driving and fighting.
After pleading guilty, Liverpool Recorder Judge Andrew Menary KC said: “A period of imprisonment is inevitable and you should prepare yourself for that inevitability.”
The sentencing hearing is expected to last two days and statements from some of the victims will be taken.
Paramedic hit by car during parade in Liverpool feared it could be a terrorist attack
A paramedic who was knocked over in a parade crash in Liverpool said he saw Paul Doyle’s car heading towards him and believed he was in the middle of a terrorist incident.
Jay Vernon, 34, was on duty as a cycle response paramedic with the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) in Liverpool city center on May 26 when he reportedly suffered a heart attack in Water Street, just after the end of the victory parade.
Doyle, 54, will be jailed on Monday for 31 offenses relating to the crash, which occurred when he plowed into a crowd of fans on his way back from the city’s beach following the Premier League victory celebration.
Mr Vernon said Doyle was walking along Water Street in front of an ambulance when his car hit him.
He said: “I was hit from behind with great force which sent me flying to the right and I fell into the gutter in Water Street.
“I put my hands out to support myself like you normally do, and then, while I was in the pit, there were a lot of people around me and on the ground.
“When I looked to the left, I saw a car. Then I saw that the car’s reverse lights were on and it started moving towards Water Street.
“It hit me at that point, I immediately thought, ‘I’m in the middle of a terrorist incident.'”
He suffered only minor injuries in the incident and was able to press the emergency button on his radio to signal all vehicles on the network, telling the dispatcher: “I was hit by a vehicle. I’m on Water Street and there are a lot of injuries.”
Holly Evans15 December 2025 09:53
He seemed like the perfect family man. Then he brought chaos to Liverpool
As tens of thousands of Liverpool football fans celebrated their team’s success on a leafy cul-de-sac in the city centre, six miles away, neighbors noticed a father of three slowly getting out of his car and walking away.
Paul Doyle, now 54, who is believed to have dropped off a colleague’s family in the city earlier that day, appeared likely to return to pick them up. “Paul, being the good guy he is, would offer to pick them up,” a neighbor said.
However, the father of three never returned home.
Read the full story here:
The ‘perfect’ family man who brought chaos to Liverpool with 7 minutes of violence
Paul Doyle had a loving bond with his wife and children and was known in the community as a ‘good man’. He then committed an act of ‘calculated violence’ by driving his car into a crowd of innocent football fans, injuring more than 130 people. Neighbors in quiet neighborhood tell why they still don’t believe Alex Ross ahead of sentencing this week
Holly Evans15 December 2025 09:38
Paul Doyle will be sentenced to two days in prison
Paul Doyle, who walked into football fans celebrating Liverpool’s victory parade and seriously injured the crowd, will be sentenced on Monday and Tuesday.
The 54-year-old changed his plea to guilty in November and admitted charges of dangerous driving, affray, 17 counts of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, 9 counts of causing GBH with intent and 3 counts of wounding with intent.
Our reporter Alex Ross will be at Liverpool Crown Court to bring you the latest.
Holly Evans15 December 2025 09:25
Former Royal Marine Paul Doyle turned celebration into destruction at Liverpool parade
From the outside, Doyle looked like he had it all.
Neighbors say he is happily married with three children and lives in a four-bedroom detached house in a leafy part of Liverpool.
He was fit and appeared to be successful in his career; He was a former Royal Marines Commando and later ran his own firm before working in cybersecurity.
Read reporter Alex Ross’ full article here:
Holly Evans15 December 2025 09:21
