Fifty-four-year-old British man, Paul Doyle, who drove his car into crowds during Liverpool’s Premier League title celebrations, has been sentenced to 21 years and six months in prison.
On May 26, Doyle ploughed his vehicle into groups of over 100 people as fans celebrated the Reds’ victory. He pleaded guilty to 31 offences relating to causing serious injury.
Judge’s Remarks on the Attack
Judge Andrew Menary KC described Doyle’s actions as being driven by “rage,” stating that he had “completely lost control of his anger.” He condemned Doyle for using his car as a “weapon” and putting lives at unnecessary risk.
“From the outset, your driving was aggressive and dangerous,” Judge Menary said. “Between 5.59 and 6.01pm, you deliberately accelerated into the crowd, crushing limbs and prams. Witnesses, including serving police officers, said you continued to accelerate despite the chaos.”
The judge also praised Daniel Barr, who intervened to stop Doyle’s car, potentially preventing further injuries. “His actions may well have saved lives,” the judge noted.
Defence Comments
Doyle’s defence attorney, Mr Csoka, said his client took several months to fully process the incident.
He argued that Doyle was “appalled by his conduct” and initially struggled to reconcile his actions with the man he had been for the past 30 years.
“The spiralling effect of his conduct was unexpected by him and by all who know him well,” Csoka said, acknowledging a period of denial following the incident.
Court Clarifies Responsibility
Judge Menary made clear that the crowd bore no responsibility for the incident. “The chaos unfolded solely due to your driving. Any suggestion that the public caused this is entirely unfounded,” he said.
It was noted in court that Doyle has past military and civilian convictions. However, these were not considered in the sentencing, as he had maintained a law-abiding record for 30 years prior to the attack.
