Ex-soldier hero of parade crash stopped automobile regardless of driver nonetheless urgent pedal
Daniel Barr bravely jumped into the back of Paul Doyle’s Galaxy after it ploughed into crowds at Liverpool’s victory parade – he said Doyle continued to keep his foot on the accelerator
A man has been branded a “hero” after bringing Liverpool parade crash driver Paul Doyle’s car to a stop. Daniel Barr “bravely” jumped into the back of Doyle’s Galaxy and placed the vehicle into park and was in the back seat for the last 16 seconds of its movement.
He told police that, as he walked up Water Street, he saw the Galaxy in the distance and noted that the crowd’s attitude suddenly changed from “joyful to desperate” and saw people “flying into the air”.
During Doyle’s two-day sentencing hearing at Liverpool Crown Court, prosecutor Paul Greaney KC said: “All of a sudden, the Galaxy stopped right beside him.
“Daniel Barr instinctively pulled open the rear passenger-side door and climbed in. He did so with the intention of stopping the driver.”
Mr Barr leaned forward and moved the gear into ‘park’ and “held it as hard as he could”.
Mr Greaney added: “The Galaxy did not stop immediately, but in the end it did. However, Daniel Barr describes how even after he had brought the vehicle to a halt, the defendant continued to keep his foot on the accelerator.”
Paul Doyle claimed in police interview he had stopped his car as soon as he realised he had struck someone, but prosecution counsel Paul Greaney KC said it is their case that this was untrue.
He told Liverpool Crown Court: “The defendant could not have failed to see that he had struck very many people on his journey down Dale Street and Water Street, stopping to reverse and then drive forward a number of times.
“In any event, what brought the Galaxy to a halt was a combination of the number of people trapped beneath the vehicle and the actions of Daniel Barr, not the decision of Paul Doyle – on the contrary, as we have explained, even with people beneath his vehicle, Paul Doyle tried to drive on.”
Mr Kearney added: “By the time his vehicle was brought to a halt, the defendant had driven it into a collision with over one hundred people. Some of them had sustained wounds or grievous bodily harm.
“Others sustained some injury, but, through good fortune, not serious injury. Others narrowly avoided injury altogether by jumping out of the way of the oncoming vehicle, or by being dragged out of the way.
“Very many were placed into a state of terror.”
Doyle has admitted 31 offences relating to the crash including dangerous driving, affray, 17 charges of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, nine counts of causing GBH with intent, and three counts of wounding with intent at Liverpool Crown Court.
The sentencing is expected to continue until Tuesday.
For live updates on Paul Doyle’s sentencing hearing, read our live blog.
