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Paul Doyle Liverpool parade sentencing 'bittersweet'

Forensic officers at the scene in Water Street near the Liver Building in Liverpool after a 53-year-old white British man was arrested when a car ploughed into a crowd of people during Liverpool FC's Premier League victory parade.PA Media

Laura O'Neill

North West, North West

The sentencing of a man who drove his car through crowds at Liverpool FC's Premier League victory parade was a "bittersweet" moment for some of his victims, their solicitor has said.

Paul Doyle, from Croxteth, Liverpool, was jailed for 21 years and six months after he used his car as a "weapon" to plough into more than 130 people on 26 May.

Polly Herbert from Fletchers Solicitors said the sentence acknowledges how serious the offences were - but said victims would be living with questions for the rest of their lives.

"The difficulty is that we still don't know why," she said. "I think the judge did try to go some lengths yesterday to explain that it was rage, but still the question is why?"

She told BBC Breakfast: "There's an element of control that the defendant still has over all of these victims, that answer hasn't been provided."

Judge Andrew Menary KC said on Tuesday that the former Royal Marine had generated "fear and panic" and his "disregard for human life defied ordinary understanding".

Polly sits in the BBC Breakfast studio, she has long brown hair and wears a dark blue jumper

The 54-year-old admitted 31 charges including causing grievous bodily harm with intent, dangerous driving and affray, with victims ranging from a six-month-old baby to a 77-year-old woman.

"I think the issue we've got here is, yes there were physical injuries and I know a lot of responses have been 'well he didn't kill anyone'," Ms Herbert said.

"The psychological injuries and what's being described by our clients, these are life-changing, you cannot make sense about what happened so it's very hard for people to try and process that and take steps forward."

Doyle, an IT networking engineer, changed his plea to guilty on the second day of his trial last month, with the judge telling him during sentencing that his jail term reflected the fact he could have admitted the offences much earlier.

'Incredibly distressing'

Ms Herbert said the late plea added to the victims' distress as they had been anticipating a longer trial.

"It's overwhelming," she said.

"The anticipation of such a long trial, the very late guilty plea that came in and then preparing for the last two days knowing they were going to have to see CCTV footage or dashcam, actually showing the impact involving themselves has been incredibly distressing."

Ms Herbert said it is "really important" to the families that the criminal side of their ordeal is over and they will be gathering together again in the New Year.

"There's a lot of psychological support that's ongoing and there's lots of physical support that's ongoing, but it has to be done at their pace," she said.

"We'll very much be taking the lead from them in terms of next steps.

"One of the most positive things that came out of yesterday is the sense that there is already a community building with the victims and I think that in itself is something that will be helping their recovery in the New Year."

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