Paul Doyle injured 134 people when he drove through a Liverpool victory parade in May
Rosaleen Fenton and Husna Anjum
13:45, 01 Dec 2025Updated 13:46, 01 Dec 2025
Paul Doyle pleaded guilty on the second day of his trial at Liverpool Crown Court
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Paul Doyle pleaded guilty on the second day of his trial at Liverpool Crown Court(Image: PA)
Paul Doyle, the man who drove into fans at Liverpool FC's trophy parade, might serve his sentence in a secure hospital rather than jail it's been reported. According to The Mirror, Doyle, who pleaded guilty to injuring 134 people, has been diagnosed with PTSD.
The 54-year-old who is a former Royal Marine Commando, drove through a Liverpool victory parade on May 26. People were left trapped underneath his Ford Galaxy Titanium and the youngest victim, six-month-old Teddy Eveson, was thrown about 15 feet down the road in his pram.
Officials during his trial revealed it was "sheer luck" no one was killed. Doyle was in the city to collect a friend from the celebrations.
Court artist sketch of Paul Doyle, 53,
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Court artist sketch of Paul Doyle, 53,(Image: PA)
However, prosecutors claimed he later lost his temper and deliberately drove his car into the crowds. Liverpool supporter Robin Darke, 62, said he had been left with life-changing injuries after his foot was crushed in the collision.
He said: "It was like a bomb had gone off. It was just carnage everywhere, crying and screaming." At Liverpool Crown Court last week, the dad shook and was barely audible as he admitted multiple offences of attempting to cause GBH with intent, causing GBH with intent, wounding with intent, dangerous driving and affray.
He had previously denied the offences, which relate to 29 victims aged between six months and 77. In court, Judge Andrew Menary KC warned the dad-of-three to expect a long time behind bars, saying: "It is inevitable there will be a custodial sentence of some length and you should prepare yourself for that inevitability."
Police officers stand at a cordon on in Water Street in Liverpool, in May
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Police officers stand at a cordon on in Water Street in Liverpool, in May(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Doyle is due to return to court for a two-day sentencing hearing on December 15 - but he might not be sent to jail. A source told the Sun that the defendant had been examined at Wakefield Prison, where he's on remand, and it was concluded he could have PTSD.
Currently, Doyle is being treated as an Category A inmate after being moved from infamous Wakefield. He is reportedly being checked around the clock due to fears of reprisals from other inmates, the Mirror reports.
A source told the Sun: "A lot of inmates, especially at northern prisons, will have had friends or relatives at the parade so it's not hard to see why he might be targeted."
Category A prisoners are regarded as the most dangerous, who if they were to escape, would pose the most threat to the public. IT consultant Doyle was moved from Wakefield as his trial neared.
He could be sent to either Broadmoor, Ashworth or Rampton hospitals, where inmates are treated as "patients" rather than prisoners, with a focus on their therapy. The secure hospitals have held some of the UK's most infamous killers, including the Yorkshire ripper Peter Sutcliffe, who was held at Broadmoor.
On the secure hospital's website, it describes how wards are "spacious" with "access to bright, attractive ward gardens." The central building includes a cafe, a hairdressers, woodwork and pottery rooms and a multi-faith sanctuary.
Describing the conditions Doyle might face, the source told the Mirror: "He's pretty likely to be moved to a secure hospital unit once he's sentenced. His life there would be much more comfortable than in prison as he'd be treated as a patient, not an inmate.
He'd be held in better conditions, plus he'd get more therapy and help getting his life back on track. A lot of prisoners try to play the mental health card, but with Doyle his PTSD was diagnosed pretty quickly and it seems genuine."
High-security hospitals are equivalent to category B prisons (local or training prisons), according to the NHS, although they can treat people who would be sent to a Category A environment. Once they've been admitted, the hospital can give people treatment without their permission for up to three months, and then they need a second doctors' approval to continue.
If a person has been found guilty of a crime that they can face prison for, the court can send you to hospital instead, under section 37 of the Mental Health Act. The defendant must have a mental disorder and need treatment in hospital.
If the defendant is deemed a risk to the public, the judge can add a restriction to the hospital order under section 41 of the same act. This means the person facing the sentence can be only be discharged if the justice secretary approves. Otherwise, their hospital order doesn't have a fixed date end.
Criminologist and psychologist Alex Izsatt previously told The Mirror that Doyle could be looking at a sentence of between 10 and 20 years. "His lawyers may have persuaded him to change the plea on the evidence presented as the chances of acquittal or even a more favourable verdict as very slim," she said.
"A late guilty plea can limit the reduction in sentence, the court will have to weigh the number of victims, severity of injuries, and the scale of risk. Also previous good character and visible remorse could soften the sentence slightly, but it's likely that due to the number of victims that, a long-term prison term is almost certain probably 10 to 20 years."
"As it's a high profile case, Paul may start in a high security prison, and be moved at a later date, depending on good behaviour. If he's prone to emotional breakdowns, they may provide segregation or protective custody initially. It's likely he will face a tough time from other inmates due to the range of victims as well as the fact he drove into football fans."
Chief Crown prosecutor Sarah Hammond said: "By entering guilty pleas, Doyle has finally accepted that he intentionally drove into crowds of innocent people during Liverpool FC’s victory parade.
"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."
It is understood Doyle's vehicle was brought to a stop when a member of the public got into the back of the automatic car and held the gear selection in park.
Merseyside Police Detective Chief Inspector John Fitzgerald said: "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.
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"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.”
A Prison Service spokesman said: "We cannot comment on individuals." The Ministry of Justice also declined to comment.