A man has pleaded guilty to driving into crowds of football fans during Liverpool's Premier League victory parade, sobbing in court as he changed his plea on the second day of his trial.
Paul Doyle, 54, admitted dangerous driving, affray, 17 charges of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent, nine counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and three counts of wounding with intent at Liverpool Crown Court on Wednesday. He had previously denied all offences relating to the May 26 incident.
The defendant sat with his head down and wept as he changed his pleas, speaking with a broken voice and wiping away tears as the charges were read to him. A jury had been sworn in for his trial on Tuesday, but when the prosecution case was due to open the following day, Doyle was asked to re-enter his pleas.
Sentencing and Victims
Judge Andrew Menary KC sent Doyle down from the dock, telling him: «It is inevitable there will be a custodial sentence of some length and you should prepare yourself for that inevitability.» The defendant is due to return to court for a two-day sentencing hearing on December 15.
The charges relate to 29 victims, aged between six months and 77 years old. More than 130 people reported injuries after Doyle drove his Ford Galaxy Titanium into crowds on Water Street just after 6pm.
Youngest Victim
The youngest alleged victim was six-month-old Teddy Eveson, whose parents later told media he was thrown about 15 feet down the road in his pram when the crash happened. Doyle admitted attempting to cause grievous bodily harm to the baby. Five other children who Doyle is alleged to have either injured or attempted to injure cannot be named for legal reasons.
How the Incident Unfolded
Thousands of Liverpool fans were in the city on May 26 to watch the parade celebrating the team's Premier League title win. The parade started at 2.30pm and travelled 15km before entering the city centre. The team bus had travelled down The Strand, which passes the end of Water Street, before the incident occurred.
In May, Merseyside Police said they believed the driver had followed an ambulance onto Water Street after a road block was temporarily lifted for crews to attend to a person having a heart attack. Doyle, of Croxteth, Liverpool, was arrested at the scene and charged later that week.
The defendant, reportedly a former Royal Marine, was in tears at a number of pre-trial hearings when he appeared over videolink from prison. He was supported in court by family members.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
