Paul Doyle's choice caused chaos and heartbreak
Paul Doyle
Paul Doyle(Image: Facebook)
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Neighbours of Liverpool FC parade crash driver Paul Doyle painted a picture of "Mr Healthy Dude" as they described the impact of the case on their close-knit community. Doyle appeared in court today ahead of the prosecution's opening in his trial, which had been estimated to last between three and four weeks.
Today he admitted to driving the Ford Galaxy car into Liverpool FC fans on Water Street on May 26 this year. Speaking after the guilty pleas were entered, Merseyside's chief crown prosecutor Sarah 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."
The ECHO has spoken to people who knew Doyle as a neighbour in the quiet Liverpool street where he lived, as well as looking in to his background in the armed forces.
Doyle previously served in the Royal Marines between March 1991 and January 1993, the ECHO understands, and is believed to have been based at RM Condor in Arbroath, Scotland.
Following his stint in the forces, Doyle is then listed on his LinkedIn profile as working at Mersey Care between March 2009 and March 2013 before becoming a security team leader at Intrinsic for four years and then onto Rathbones in Liverpool as a cyber security manager between July 2017 and August 2023.
Doyle is believed to have moved to Burghill Road in 2017 with his wife and three children, becoming director of Far Out Caps until its dissolution in 2020.
He also showed an interest in the video game Fortnite, publishing videos online of his gameplay, and a particular interest in cryptocurrency.
Most recently Doyle had been listed on his LinkedIn profile as acting head of cyber at Hyper Scale Data Centre, which the ECHO has since been unable to locate.
Doyle's mugshot released
Paul Doyle's police mugshot
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Ahead of the trial, the ECHO spent time on the West Derby street where Doyle and his family spent eight quiet years, with his neighbours saying he was nothing more than a friendly man in their eyes.
One neighbour, who requested not to be named, told the ECHO how he was seen as "Mr Healthy Dude."
He said: "He meditates, doesn't drink and he would go out on the grass outside in his bare feet to ground himself. He was a fit guy. He hasn't drunk for as long as I have known him."
They added: "My perception of Paul is a family man, a really good neighbour, a friendly guy."
The neighbour, who has lived on the road for 25 years, explained how he and his wife felt sorry for Doyle’s family in the aftermath of the crash and the publicity it generated.
He said: "I can't imagine the damage it caused for his immediate family, my heart goes out to them. People have been coming up here in their hordes, especially immediately after the incident. It's been pretty quiet since then thankfully."
Court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook of Paul Doyle, 54, appearing at Liverpool Crown Court
Court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook of Paul Doyle, 54, appearing at Liverpool Crown Court
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Living in a house at the end of a close on a large housing estate, one neighbour explained how his children would often mix with others on the street due to the area being a tight-knit community.
Speaking ahead of the looming trial where a jury had been expected to face weeks of evidence, she said: "The family are lovely, no one has a bad word to say about them."
Immediately after the crash, neighbours told the ECHO how the family were forced to leave their home before returning weeks later.
One man said: "The poor family had to move away when it first happened because they were just getting harassed."
More than 100 pedestrians, ranging from a six-month-old baby to a 78-year-old woman, were injured after being struck, with Doyle, 53, having faced 31 counts which included 18 charges of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent. The complainants in these matters have been named as six-month-old Teddy Eveson, other boys and girls aged seven months, 10, 13, 17, as well as adults Jack Trotter, Jon Evans, Scott Dolan, Jacqueline McClaren, Jamie Fagan, Carl Martin, James Vernon, Emily Wright, Hannah O’Neill, Stefan Dettlaf, David Price, James Weston and Ethan Gillard.
He was further charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent to an 11-year-old boy, a 12-year-old child, a 17-year-old boy, Helen Gilmore, Anna Bilonozhenko, Sheree Aldridge, Sam Alexander, Christine Seeckts and Susan Passey. He also admitted offences of wounding with intent against Simon Nash and Robin Darke, as well as matters of affray and dangerous driving.
Speaking after the guilty pleas today, Detective Chief Inspector John Fitzgerald said: "It is hard to forget the shocking scenes from that day.
"What should have been a day of celebration for the city turned into a distressing and frightening experience which we know continues to have a physical and psychological impact on many people.
"Thousands of people had gathered in the city to watch the Liverpool FC parade and it is only by sheer luck that nobody was killed because of Doyle’s reckless actions.
"His driving, even before he reached Dale Street, was aggressive and dangerous and he was seen to undertake vehicles, jump lanes and run through a red light.
"Doyle circumvented the traffic system put in place by the event managers, Liverpool City Council, and swore at fans before ploughing into them as they tried to make their way out of Dale Street and Water Street.
“In just seven minutes his dangerous driving meant that his car collided with more than 100 people, including children, in some cases trapping people underneath and causing serious injuries."