A sentencing hearing for the man who plowed his car into more than 100 Liverpool fans at a Premier League victory parade has heard he was “successful in his desire to get where he wanted to go” and “intended to cause serious harm to those in the crowd”.
Prosecutor Paul Greaney KC told Liverpool Crown Court that Paul Doyle, who admitted 31 offenses related to last month’s crash, was driving a gray Ford Galaxy Titanium from his home in Croxteth to central Liverpool to pick up a friend and his family for a celebration on May 26.
Mr Doyle had agreed to travel to central Liverpool earlier in the day to drop them off at the parade and pick them up again at the end of the celebrations.
His car weighed almost 2 tons.
Mr Greaney said the roads were extremely busy with pedestrians on what was supposed to be a day of joy.
He said: “The defendant drove the Galaxy towards Dale Street at 5.54pm and began traveling in the direction of Water Street, i.e. on a course towards the fans, opposite the direction of most of the fans.”
“Paul Doyle drove dangerously along that road from an early stage, scaring people, and at 5.59pm he came across traffic measures in place blocking the right side of the vehicle.
“He stopped but then immediately ignored the measures and started running down the left side of Dale Street towards Water Street.”
Dashcam footage was shown in court showing the shocking moment Ms Doyle pushed her way through the crowd.
The video captures audio and footage of the 54-year-old swerving from inside a Ford Galaxy into hundreds of fans heading home from the city’s waterfront after celebrating.
Ms Doyle wept as footage was played in court, showing her car crashing into a crowd of supporters, with her head bowed and her eyes closed.
The victims also shed tears as the video was played in court.
Once on Dale Street, which was open to cars but crowded with supporters, Mr Doyle could be heard saying “fuck you stab” as pedestrians tried to pull children out of cars and stop them from hitting them.
The view through the windshield showed him approaching a line of cars waiting to make a right turn before turning onto Water Street.
Doyle then veered into the left lane to avoid traffic, but the lane was closed as hundreds of fans made their way home from the celebration. His screams and screams could be heard as shocked members of the public tried to jump out of his car.
The footage, which will not be released due to its graphic nature, shows the windshield being broken after a man lands on it.
As Doyle continued to drive, other people could be seen on the hood of the car, and it appeared that people, including a child, had crawled under the car.
Doyle cried as she appeared in the dock for the sentencing hearing.
He was wearing a black suit, gray tie and white shirt, and had a tissue in his hand, which he sometimes held to his face.
The 54-year-old last month admitted 17 charges of dangerous driving, assault, attempting to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, nine charges of causing GBH with intent and three charges of causing bodily harm with intent. He previously denied the offenses involving 29 victims ranging in age from six months to 77 years old.
Mr Doyle’s actions “caused fear in those who had attended what they thought was going to be a fun day”, Mr Greaney said.
“At 6:01 p.m., less than two minutes later, the Galaxy was stationary on Water Street and fans were attempting to pull Paul Doyle from it. He was immediately rescued by police and subsequently arrested and detained, with only minor injuries.”
“What happened over a short period of time between 5:59 p.m. and 6:01 p.m. was that the defendant drove his vehicle into a collision with well over 100 people, causing many injuries, including serious injuries, and when the vehicle stopped, people, including children, were crushed under it.”
“The prosecution’s case is that the defendant used the vehicle as a weapon over that period.
“In doing so, he not only caused extensive injury, but also caused fear in the participants who thought it was going to be a fun day.
“The truth is simple: Paul Doyle was just driven mad by his desire to get where he wanted to go. In a fit of rage, he drove his car into a crowd. At the time, he intended to cause serious harm to those in the crowd.”
Doyle was arrested at the scene on Water Street just after 6 p.m. and was charged later that week.
The youngest victim was 6-month-old Teddy Eveson, whose parents later told the media that he was thrown approximately 15 feet down in his stroller when the accident occurred.
Ms Doyle, of Croxteth, Liverpool, admitted attempting to cause grievous bodily harm to the baby.
The names of the five other children Doyle injured or attempted to injure cannot be released for legal reasons.
