Reuters
—
A British man who crashed his car into a crowd of Liverpool soccer fans during May’s Premier League victory parade, injuring more than 130 people, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to 31 charges, including nine counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
Paul Doyle, 53, sobbed in the dock at Liverpool Crown Court on the first day of his scheduled trial as he changed his plea to guilty. He pleaded not guilty in September.
Doyle broke down in tears several times as the 31-count indictment was read out to her and simply answered, “Guilty.” He will be sentenced next month. The charges also include 17 counts of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm and dangerous driving.
Sarah Hammond, chief prosecutor at CPS Mersey-Cheshire, said in a statement: “Driving a car into a crowd was a calculated act of violence. This was not a momentary lapse on Paul Doyle’s part, but a choice he made that day that turned a celebration into mayhem.”
The incident took place on May 26th in a packed Liverpool city center where around one million people gathered to celebrate Liverpool’s title win and watch a parade of open-top buses carrying the team and staff with the Premier League trophy.
The Crown Prosecution Service said dashcam footage from Doyle’s car showed him becoming increasingly agitated by the crowd and then deliberately driving towards people, injuring 134 people, including eight children.
