The 53-year-old is accused of driving a car into crowds of fans during last week's Premier League victory celebrations
First picture of Paul Doyle, 53, of Burghill Road in West Derby
Paul Doyle(Image: Facebook)
Liverpool FC parade suspect Paul Doyle was absent from court today as a judge ruled that reporting restrictions banning the identification of the complainants in the case should be lifted. The 53-year-old, of Burghill Road in West Derby, has been charged with a series of alleged offences after a car was driven into crowds of fans during last week’s Premier League title celebrations in Liverpool city centre.
A total of 109 pedestrians, ranging from children aged as young as nine to a 78-year-old casualty, were injured after being struck by a Ford Galaxy on Water Street shortly after 6pm on Monday, May 26, with 50 having required hospital treatment. Four remained as inpatients as of yesterday evening, Monday.
Doyle has been accused of two counts of wounding with intent, two charges of inflicting grievous bodily harm, two of attempting to inflict grievous bodily harm and dangerous driving. He appeared before both Liverpool Magistrates’ Court and Liverpool Crown Court on Friday in order to face these charges.
His case was brought back before the latter court this afternoon, Tuesday, for the Honorary Recorder of Liverpool Judge Andrew Menary KC to consider lifting reporting restrictions which have been imposed on the identities of the six complainants. Doyle was not present during the hearing, either in the dock or via video link, having been excused from attending on the last occasion.
Restrictions preventing the media from reporting the names of the casualties, their addresses, places of work, schools, pictures or any other information which could lead to their identities being revealed were imposed by District Judge Paul Healey in the magistrates’ court last week. An order under Section 45 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999, which protects the identity of the two boys, aged 11 and 17, who were named as complainants, has not been challenged by the media and will remain in place indefinitely.
However, reporting restrictions under Section 46 of the same act, which prevented the four adult casualties from being identified, were opposed. But Judge Menary ruled that the reporting restrictions should be lifted after hearing submissions from Philip Astbury, prosecuting, and Gavin Millar KC, who was instructed to make representations on behalf of organisations including the BBC, ITN, Sky, Associated Newspapers Ltd, Guardian News and Media and the Telegraph Media Group.
The four complainants in question can therefore be named as 18-year-old Ethan Gillard, 52-year-old Simon Nash, 66-year-old Christine Seeckts and 77-year-old Susan Passey. Doyle is due to face a three to four week trial before the same court on November 24 this year and has been remanded into custody ahead of a plea and trial preparation hearing on August 14.