On Monday, Liverpool’s Premier League title-winning parade was marred by horrific scenes as a man drove through hundreds of jubilant supporters on Water Street. The neighbours of the suspected perpetuator have now spoken out about his personal life.
Celebrating their second-ever Premier League title, thousands turned up in their droves to see the squad parade the football-crazed city – but the celebrations were cut short around 6pm after a Ford Galaxy ploughed through fans in the city centre.
The driver of the people carrier, on Tuesday, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and drug driving – and, after Merseyside Police were given an extension to question him further, he will remain in custody until further notice.
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When police arrived at the suspect’s home soon after, according to the Daily Mail, the neighbours jumped to the conclusion that he and his family had been victims of a burglary given his apparently kind-hearted nature. Stunned, one of his neighbours insisted that he’s family-orientated with three well-behaved sons.
“It’s completely out of character. They are a nice family; the boys are well-behaved. He is a fantastic guy,” one said before adding: “He came over to help us once when our alarm went off. I know he did the same for our immediate neighbours, too.”
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Identified as a former director of two companies – one who lives in a smart, £300,000, four-bedroomed detached property in a quiet cul-de-sac – the neighbour was thus stunned at the revelation, insisting that he must have ‘panicked in the moment’ on Monday night.
“It just doesn’t make any sense. Maybe he’s had some kind of breakdown, maybe he just panicked in the moment? The family is lovely. The whole thing is sad – for his wife and children and for all those people who were hurt or injured.”
The driver is a middle-class businessman, the Daily Mail have confirmed. Elsewhere, the suspect has been described by another local as a ‘nice guy’ and a ‘family man’, while a family friend claimed that his terrible actions were entirely out of character.
Per The Mirror, another neighbour has also spoken out. They added that – upon seeing police descend on their neat, well-kept neighbourhood – they had joked about him being a suspect, only to later discover that he had been arrested.
“We turned in and there were three of four police cars on top of our road, and we just said: ‘Oh my god, imagine if he is on our road’ and that was it, and now we are like s***!”. The report suggests that the 53-year-old is likely to be charged.
As of May 28, police confirmed that the number of injured fans has risen to 79 – and that figure includes four children. A report from The Metro has claimed that a total of seven people remain hospitalised after the horrific act.