Former Royal Marine Pleads Guilty to Injuring 29 at Liverpool FC Victory Parade
LIVERPOOL, UK – Paul Doyle, a father-of-three and former Royal Marine, unexpectedly pleaded guilty Wednesday to 31 charges relating to injuries inflicted on 29 people - ranging in age from six months to 77 years old – during liverpool FC’s victory parade. The guilty pleas came on the scheduled first day of what was expected to be a four-week trial at Liverpool Crown Court.
Doyle,visibly distressed,sobbed and hung his head as he entered the pleas,prompting Judge Andrew Menary KC to ask him to sit down as he struggled to compose himself. The courtroom was filled with both relatives of the injured and members of Doyle’s family during the eight-minute process.
Judge Menary stated it was “inevitable that there will be a custodial sentence of some length” and scheduled sentencing for December 15th and 16th.
The incident, which occurred after Liverpool FC’s victory parade, initially sparked fears of a terrorist attack, with far-right agitator Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (Tommy Robinson) posting to his 1.7 million followers on X (formerly twitter) that it was a “suspected terrorist attack.” However, authorities quickly persistent the act stemmed from road rage.
While initially arrested on suspicion of drug driving, tests revealed Doyle was sober. He had driven six miles from his home in Croxteth to Liverpool to collect his friend’s family. Doyle previously claimed he panicked and feared for his life after individuals attempted to stop his two-tonne vehicle as it struck fans. This clarification was rejected by prosecutors, who believe he drove in rage in an attempt to break thru the crowd.
According to the Crown Prosecution Service, dashcam footage from Doyle’s vehicle showed he became ”increasingly agitated by the crowds” and deliberately drove at them. Sarah Hammond, of the CPS, stated Doyle’s actions caused “unimaginable harm” and “brought chaos upon a community.”
“By entering guilty pleas, Doyle has finally accepted that he intentionally drove into crowds of innocent people during Liverpool FC’s victory parade,” Hammond said. “Driving a vehicle into a crowd is an act of calculated violence. This was not a momentary lapse by Paul Doyle – it was a choice he made that day and it turned celebration into mayhem.”
A total of 134 people were injured in the incident. Hammond commended the swift actions of emergency services, stating their response “saved lives.” She added,”Liverpool as a city has shown resilience and unity in the face of this awful act,and I hope the victims,their families and anyone affected will feel justice has been done.”
