LIVERPOOL – A 54-year-old man has been sentenced to more than 21 years in prison for a vehicular assault that left over 130 people injured during Liverpool’s Premier League championship celebrations. Paul Doyle received his sentence at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday for the May 26 incident that turned a festive parade into a scene of terror.
Judge Andrew Menary delivered a scathing rebuke to Doyle, describing how the defendant “struck people head-on, knocked others onto the bonnet, drove over limbs, crushed prams and forced those nearby to scatter in terror” during the two-minute rampage. The attack only concluded when a courageous bystander intervened, entering the moving vehicle and forcing it into park while it rested atop injured victims.
Prosecutor Paul Greaney revealed that Doyle’s actions stemmed from roadway frustration rather than terrorism. Dashboard camera footage presented in court showed Doyle screaming obscenities at pedestrians, blaring his horn, and shouting “move, move, move” while plowing through the crowd. The footage depicted terrified fans scrambling for safety, many being knocked aside or tossed into the air by the accelerating minivan.
During the two-day sentencing hearing, emotional victim impact statements were read aloud, revealing the lasting trauma inflicted by Doyle’s actions. Sergeant Dan Hamilton of Merseyside Police described “sickening, dull thuds that are difficult to describe and impossible to forget,” while recounting his belief that he would die during the attack. Other victims reported losing employment, undergoing extensive rehabilitation to regain mobility, and developing severe anxiety triggered by Liverpool-associated sights and sounds.
Defense attorney Simon Csoka acknowledged his client’s remorse and stated Doyle never intended to harm anyone, claiming the driver had panicked after the crowd began pounding on his vehicle. However, Judge Menary dismissed this explanation as “demonstrably untrue,” noting that any crowd reaction occurred in response to Doyle’s initial aggression.
The court learned that Doyle had previous criminal convictions from his twenties, including an incident where he bit off a sailor’s ear during a drunken fight. Despite subsequently rebuilding his life with a university education, successful IT career, and family, Doyle’s actions on May 26 have resulted in one of the most significant vehicular assault sentences in recent British legal history.