Paul Doyle pleads guilty to Liverpool parade charges

After crashing his car into a sizable crowd of supporters at the Liverpool FC victory parade, Paul Doyle has admitted guilt on all 31 charges.

The 54-year-old admitted to dangerous driving, affray, nine counts of intentionally causing grievous bodily harm (GBH), and three counts of inflicting wounds on others.

More than 130 people were hurt when Doyle drove into the crowd on May 26th, according to the Crown Prosecution Service, and it was an “act of calculated violence.”

On the day of Doyle’s attack, thousands of Liverpool supporters were present to watch the parade, which started at 14:30 BST on May 26.

After Doyle’s Ford Galaxy Titanium was slammed into crowds on Water Street just after 18:00, more than 130 people reported injuries.

He was later detained and charged later that week.

He was sworn in for his trial on Tuesday, but he changed his pleas because the prosecution case was about to start.

When he appeared over videolink from prison, Doyle, a former Royal Marine, burst out in tears during a number of pre-trial hearings.

When he had earlier appeared in court, his family members supported him.

Doyle was “inevitable” to receive a custodial sentence “of some length,” according to the Recorder of Liverpool, Andrew Menary KC.

According to Sarah Hammond, the Crime Prosecution Service’s chief crown prosecutor, Doyle finally accepted that he had intentionally slammed into crowds of innocent people.

According to her, “Dashcam footage from Doyle’s car shows that as he approached Dale Street and Water Street, the crowds became more and more agitated,” she said.

He purposefully drove at them and forced his way through rather than letting them pass.

Driving into a crowd is a “act of calculated violence,” the statement read.

After a temporary roadblock was lifted so crews could treat a person who had a heart attack, according to Merseyside Police in May, Doyle followed an ambulance on to Water Street.

According to Det Ch Insp John Fitzgerald, “Nobody was killed because of Doyle’s careless actions… by sheer luck.”

“His dangerous driving resulted in his car colliding with more than 100 people, including children, in just seven minutes,” according to his dangerous driving, who was reportedly causing serious injuries.