Liverpool parade driver told officers ‘I’ve just ruined my family’s life’
Paul Doyle, wipes away tears as he appears at Liverpool Crown Court for sentencing Picture: Elizabeth Cook/PA)
A driver who used a car as a “weapon” to plough through more than 100 people celebrating Liverpool’s Premier League title win told officers, “I’ve just ruined my family’s life”, a court heard.
Paul Doyle, described as a “family man” by prosecutors, wept as footage of the horrific rampage was shown to the city’s crown court multiple times on Monday.
His sentencing hearing 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.
Prosecutors said in the space of two minutes, his 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 to 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.
Horrifying dashcam footage was displayed to the court on the first day of his sentencing hearing, 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.
Doyle cried as the footage was shown to the court, putting his head down and shutting his eyes as the footage showed his car hitting crowds of supporters.
Victims in court were also in tears as the video was played.
Opening the facts of the case, Paul Greaney KC said: “The strong sense from the dashcam footage is that the defendant regarded himself as the most important person on Dale Street, and considered that everyone else needed to get out of his way so that he could get to where he wanted to get to.”
The court was shown multiple clips of the incident, which the prosecutor described as “particularly shocking”, adding: “The prosecution case is what we are seeing; there is a man in a rage, whose anger had completely taken hold of him.”
In some of the footage, a pram could be seen on its side.
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, Mr Greaney told the court: “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.
“That the defendant was initially motivated that day by kindness only serves to make what he did later the more staggering,” Mr Greaney said.
Addressing his motive, the prosecutor continued: “The truth is a simple one. Paul Doyle just lost his temper in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to.
“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.
“So the truth is as simple as the consequences that day were awful.”
Mr Greaney continued: “The defendant was the one driving a 1.9-tonne vehicle.
“He was the one who needed to take care and who had a responsibility to the pedestrians ahead of him.”
The prosecutor told the court Doyle had an opportunity to “stop and gain protection” from police officers in a police van he had passed during the rampage.
Mr Greaney said: “In interview, he was to maintain he was in fear.
“If so, here was an opportunity to stop and gain protection.
“Indeed, the police were not just restricted to that van.
“As we have seen in the footage, they were chasing the defendant down the street.
“In a short time, he was to knock a female officer over.
“The point is that there were many police officers in the area from whom the defendant could have sought help and protection.
“He did not do so because his claims in interview as to his motivation were untrue.”
Doyle was arrested at the scene on Water Street just after 6pm and charged later that week.
The youngest victim was six-month-old Teddy Eveson, whose parents later told the media he was thrown about 15 feet down the road in his pram when the crash happened.
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.
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