Paul Doyle changed his plea to guilty on all 31 charges, including dangerous driving and rioting, in connection with the Liverpool parade crash in May.
Doyle, 54, also admitted nine counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, 17 counts of attempting to cause GBH and three counts of causing bodily harm with intent.
Prosecutors said Doyle had no choice but to plead guilty after police reviewed hours of surveillance footage, cellphone recordings and dashcam footage to piece together what happened on May 26.
Doyle had previously pleaded not guilty.
Judge Andrew Menary KC set a two-day sentencing date for December 15th.
He remanded Mr Doyle into custody, saying he could face a “custodial sentence of some length” and that he must prepare for the “inevitable consequences” of that.
More than 130 people were reported injured when a Ford Galaxy Titanium collided with a crowd on Water Street just after 6pm on the day of the Trophy Parade.
The charges involve 29 victims ranging in age from 6 months to 77 years old.
Prosecutors say Doyle turned ‘celebrations into mayhem’
Chief prosecutor Sarah Hammond said in a statement that the convictions “bring some justice to an act that caused unimaginable harm on what was supposed to be a day of celebration for the city of Liverpool.”
She said his “deliberate actions” had put lives at risk and “caused disruption to the community”.
“This attack did not just harm individuals; it struck the heart of a city united in joy and left in fear,” she said.
In his guilty plea, Mr Hammond said Mr Doyle had admitted “deliberately driving his car into a crowd of innocent people” and said dashcam footage showed him “becoming increasingly agitated by the crowd”.
“Instead of waiting for them to pass, he deliberately drove towards them and forced his way through,” she said.
“Driving a car into a crowd was a calculated act of violence. This was not a momentary lapse on Paul Doyle’s part. It was a choice he made that day that turned the celebration into mayhem.”
Liverpool: hope guilty verdict brings peace to victims
Liverpool also released a statement on the matter, saying: “Last May’s victory parade allowed an unprecedented number of Liverpool fans to celebrate winning the Premier League title together, something that was not possible in 2020.”
“A day of incredible joy ended in unimaginable circumstances. We hope today’s verdict brings peace to all those affected by this terrible incident. Our thoughts are with them all.”
“We would like to thank our emergency services and partners, including Merseyside Police, North West and St John Ambulance Service, Merseyside Fire and Rescue, and the public, who responded with great courage and compassion on the day. Their actions undoubtedly saved lives and epitomized the spirit of our city.”
Merseyside Police: We were really lucky no one was killed
In a statement from Merseyside Police, Chief Inspector John Fitzgerald said: “It will be difficult to forget the shocking scenes that day.
“We know that what should have been a day of celebration for the city turned into a harrowing and frightening experience that continues to have a physical and emotional impact on many people.
“Thousands of people flocked to the city to watch the Liverpool FC parade and it was by sheer luck that no one was killed as a result of Doyle’s reckless actions.
“We know that many people are still recovering from the injuries they sustained that day, and our thoughts are with them and those still affected.”
How did the changes to the petition unfold?
Jurors had been sworn in for Doyle’s trial on Tuesday, but on Wednesday morning, when the prosecution’s case was scheduled to begin, Doyle was asked to re-enter his plea to the charges.
He sat with his head bowed, sobbing as he changed his plea, occasionally wiping away tears as the charges were read out again, speaking in a broken voice.
He has previously denied any offences, and all relate to the incident on May 26, when crowds had gathered in the city to celebrate Liverpool’s 2024/25 Premier League win.
