A former Royal Marine commando has arrived at court in a prison van after being charged with seven offences after a car ploughed into crowds of football fans during Liverpool FC's title victory parade.
Married dad-of-three Paul Doyle, 53, has been charged with seven offences including dangerous driving following the incident on Monday, which left 79 people aged between nine and 78 injured.
The other charges he faces include causing grievous bodily harm with intent, wounding with intent to cause GBH and attempted GBH. They relate to six victims including two children. GBH carries a maximum sentence of life in jail.
He was held in custody overnight o Thursday and is set to appear at Liverpool Magistrates Court on Friday. And this morning, he has arrived in a van ahead of his hearing before JPs.
The dad-of-three, from the West Derby area of Liverpool, was held at the scene of the horror on Monday, which came after almost a million people had lined the streets of the city to celebrate the Anfield club's 20th league title success. Merseyside Police have ruled out terrorism as a possible motive for the alleged attack.
Although Doyle had been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and driving while unfit through drugs he has not been charged with those offences.
Merseyside Police's Assistant chief constable Jenny Sims said on Thursday night: "I know many will continue to have concerns and questions. Our detectives are working tirelessly with diligence and professionalism to seek the answer to those questions."
His LinkedIn profile reveals Mr Doyle, who lives with his Sunday school teacher wife, served with the Royal Marines in the 1990s before studying psychology and maths at university.
He has held various management positions " as a network security consultant and now works in cyber security. He has previously competed in triathlons and enjoyed luxury holidays.
The carnage unfolded as thousands of Liverpool fans packed the streets to watch the title winners parade the Premier League trophy on an open-top bus. It was the first time since 1990 that fans could celebrate a title win with a parade after their 2020 success came during the pandemic.
The Kop idols' open top bus had passed cheering crowds near the city's famous Liver Building just moments before the horror unfolded when a grey Ford Galaxy suddenly appeared in Water Street.
Merseyside Police confirmed the car had followed an ambulance beyond the cordon as medics were called to help a member of the public having a suspected heart attack. Phone footage showed it ploughing into the crowd as screams were heard.
Police said the youngest victim was nine and the oldest was 78. One child was the alleged victim of wounding, the other was the alleged victim of attempted GBH.
Announcing the charges on Thursday night, Sarah Hammond, chief prosecutor for CPS Mersey-Cheshire, said: "The investigation is at an early stage. Prosecutors and police are continuing to work at pace to review a huge volume of evidence.
“This includes multiple pieces of video footage and numerous witness statements. It is important to ensure every victim gets the justice they deserve. The charges will be kept under review as the investigation progresses.
“We know Monday’s shocking scenes reverberated around the city of Liverpool, and the entire country, on what should have been a day of celebration for hundreds of thousands of Liverpool FC supporters. Our thoughts remain with all those affected."
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