Former Royal Marine sobs in court as he admits driving into fans during Liverpool victory parade
Paul Doyle has changed his plea to guilty on the second day of his trial at Liverpool Crown Court to seriously injuring people when he drove into football fans at Liverpool FC’s victory parade on May 26
Paul Doyle has changed his plea to guilty on the second day of his trial at Liverpool Crown Court to seriously injuring people when he drove into football fans at Liverpool FC’s victory parade on May 26.
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The 54-year-old admitted 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 at Liverpool Crown Court on Wednesday.
A jury was sworn in for his trial on Tuesday but the following day, when the prosecution case was due to be opened, Doyle was asked to re-enter his pleas to the charges.
He sat with his head down and sobbed as he changed his pleas, speaking with a broken voice as he occasionally wiped away tears as the charges were read to him again.
Read more: Liverpool parade crash suspect sobs in court as jury sworn in
He had previously denied the offences, all relating to the incident on May 26, which happened as crowds were gathered in the city to celebrate the football team’s Premier League title win.
More than 130 people reported injuries after Doyle drove his Ford Galaxy Titanium into crowds on Water Street just after 6pm.
He was arrested at the scene and charged later that week.
The charges relate to 29 victims, aged between six months and 77 years old.
The youngest alleged victim was Teddy Eveson, whose parents later told 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, who Doyle is alleged to have either injured or attempted to injure, cannot be named for legal reasons.
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.
Thousands of Liverpool fans were in the city on the day of Doyle’s attack to watch the parade, which 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 and the parade was coming to a close, with supporters heading home.
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.