David Price thought he 'might not survive' as Paul Doyle drove into crowds of fans during Liverpool FC's Premier League victory parade
Court sketch of Paul Doyle, wiping away tears as he appears at Liverpool Crown Court during his sentencing hearing
Court sketch of Paul Doyle, wiping away tears as he appears at Liverpool Crown Court during his sentencing hearing
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A man injured after being struck by Paul Doyle's car during this year's Liverpool FC title parade has said the trauma left him in a "darker place than even my cancer battle did". David Price, 44, was on Water Street with friends when Doyle drove his two-tonne Ford Galaxy into crowds of fans celebrating Liverpool’s 20th Premier League title earlier this year.
More than 100 people, ranging from babies to pensioners, were injured after being struck by the car on Water Street shortly after 6pm on Monday, May 26, as what was meant to be a day of joy turned into scenes of devastation and terror.
Fifty casualties required hospital treatment in the aftermath of the appalling incident, with all of them later discharged. Doyle, 54, and of Burghill Road in West Derby, admitted a total of 31 charges last month.
Doyle dramatically changed his pleas last month, moments before he was due to face a jury. He returned to Liverpool Crown Court in order to be sentenced today, Tuesday, and was jailed for 21-and-a-half years.
Dozens of victim personal statements have been read to the court by the prosecution, from people who continue to suffer from the trauma they experienced. The statements detailed job losses, the slow recovery from injuries, fears of crowds and continued flashbacks.
Mr Price told the court: "Following the end of treatment for metastatic stage 3c testicular cancer and very nearly the loss of my life on two occasions, I was invited to Liverpool by my close friends to celebrate this milestone and mark a fresh start. It was a moment of closure after a long and painful journey, and a chance to appreciate the football club I’ve followed since I was a little boy.
"This weekend was meant to be joyful, a symbol of recovery and hope after surviving one of the darkest periods of my life. This trauma has taken me to a darker place than even my cancer battle did.
"What happened on the 26th of May was not just traumatic, it was life-threatening. In the seconds before impact, I remember the terrifying realisation that I might not survive.
"I saw the car coming toward me and thought, 'This is it'. I feared my children were about to lose their father, my wife would lose her husband, and my mother would lose her son. The horror of that moment is something I will never forget.
"I truly believe that if I hadn’t instinctively lifted myself off the bonnet, I would have been dragged underneath. That fear, raw and paralysing, has stayed with me every day since."
The charges Doyle has admitted included 17 charges of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent. The complainants in these matters were named as six-month-old Teddy Eveson, other boys and girls aged seven months, 10, 11, 13, as well as adults Jack Trotter, Jon Evans, Scott Dolan, Ashton Gilmore, Jacqueline McClaren, Jamie Fagan, Carl Martin, James Vernon, Emily Wright, David Price, James Weston and Ethan Gillard.
A further nine counts which he pleaded guilty to stated that he caused grievous bodily harm with intent to Helen Gilmore, Anna Bilonozhenko, Sheree Aldridge, Sam Alexander, Hannah O’Neill, Stefan Dettlaf, Christine Seeckts, Susan Passey and Aaron Cothliff. He finally faces sentence for three offences of wounding with intent against a 12-year-old boy, Simon Nash and Robin Darke, as well as matters of affray and dangerous driving.