Prosecutors said Paul Doyle's actions on May 26 were an 'act of calculated violence' and his own incriminating dashcam footage showed him angrily swearing, undertaking and jumping red lights
Paul Doyle
Paul Doyle admitted 31 offences relating to the Liverpool FC victory parade
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Friends and neighbours of Paul Doyle are still stunned by what made “family man” Paul Doyle flip and drive his car into crowds at the Liverpool victory parade.
In the quiet cul-de-sac where the dad-of three lived there is a sense of disbelief that the “nice guy” with a “heart of gold” could be responsible for such carnage.
Prosecutors said his actions on May 26 were an “act of calculated violence” and his own incriminating dashcam footage showed him angrily swearing, undertaking and jumping red lights.
Just that morning he had been out in his garden having a friendly chat with his neighbours. One said: “He’d been out in the front garden all that morning, messing with trees. He was always gardening. He genuinely seemed like a nice man.
Paul Doyle ploughed into pedestrians celebrating the Premier League trophy
Paul Doyle ploughed into pedestrians celebrating the Premier League trophy
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“I was going out with my son and he said ‘hello how are you?’ and so on. He always let on.”
A few hours later Doyle would head into Liverpool city centre to pick up a friend who had been watching the celebrations after their Premier League title win.
Prosecutors were expected to argue that, during that 25 minute journey, rather than a singular moment of madness, Doyle's driving had been reckless and dangerous throughout.
He had become increasingly agitated and was swearing at fans - before mowing many down like skittles. In total 134 people were injured in the incident.
Footage posted on social media showed people bouncing off his bonnet as it swerved through the crowds. The car then slowed before accelerating again hitting dozens and leaving at least four trapped beneath its wheels.
Artist impression of Paul Doyle in court
Artist impression of Paul Doyle in court(Image: Julia Quenzler / SWNS)
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When interviewed by police, Doyle claimed he’d panicked after seeing a man with a knife try to open his car door. He said he had been driving slowly through the crowds when someone smashed his car window and he became terrified that he was about to be stabbed. But his own dashcam footage contradicted his version of events.
A neighbour who later saw Doyle’s Ford Galaxy Titanium on the news said: “I couldn't believe it. I didn't want to watch. I think maybe he panicked?”
On Wednesday, after months of denials, Doyle, 54, changed his pleas to guilty minutes before the prosecution was due to open its case.
He admitted deliberately ploughing his car into football fans on May 26, sobbing in court as admitted 31 charges relating to 29 victims, including a six-month-old baby and a 77-year-old pensioner.
Wearing a dark suit and tie, Doyle removed his glasses and bowed his head and clasped his hands together as he admitted all the charges - 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.
He was allowed to sit down as he sobbed in the dock, responding “guilty” in a broken voice when each charge was put to him.
Afterwards Sarah Hammond, Mersey-Cheshire chief crown prosecutor, said: “Paul Doyle has been held responsible for his deliberate actions that endangered lives and brought chaos upon a community.
“A total of 134 people were injured, including children as young as six months. This attack did not just harm individuals — it struck at the heart of a city united in joy, leaving fear in its wake.
“By entering guilty pleas, Doyle has finally accepted that he intentionally drove into crowds of innocent people during Liverpool FC’s victory parade.”
Liverpool trophy parade
Dozens of people were injured at the Liverpool trophy parade in May
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She also said his own dashcam footage had shown his aggressive driving: “Dashcam footage from Doyle’s vehicle shows that as he approached Dale Street and Water Street, he became increasingly agitated by the crowds. Rather than wait for them to pass, he deliberately drove at them, forcing his way through.
“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.”
But back on Burghill Road, in Croxteth, where Doyle lived with his teacher wife and three sons, neighbours are still stunned.
One told how his wife burst into tears after being asked what happened.
He said: “She came out the next day and one of the neighbours asked ‘was that your car?’ She burst into tears and said ‘yes’. You didn’t really see her after that. I feel sorry for them, it’s ruined their lives.”
A friend, who worked at the same IT consultancy as Doyle, said he was a “great mentor with a great sense of humour”.
Another told how Doyle travelled to Tanzania on a group excursion to trek up Mount Kilimanjaro. He said: “When he did anything he always wanted to do it the nest way.
"When we were up there, coming down, I think a couple of French guys started running down and he didn't want them to beat him so he ran down after them. He barely broke a sweat."
Both former colleagues said Doyle didn’t drink heavily or usedrugs, and had no idea he had the kind of temper that led to the events in May.
Judge Andrew Menary KC, the Recorder of Liverpool, has warned Doyle to expect a “custodial sentence of some length” when he is sentenced next month.