Paul Doyle’s six-word statement was caught on police bodycam as he was bundled into the back of a van after ploughing into crowds at Liverpool’s victory parade
Liverpool parade crash driver Paul Doyle’s reaction after ploughing into crowds was caught on police boycam as people remained trapped under his car. The 54-year-old said: “I’ve just ruined my family’s life” as he was bundled into the back of a police van.
At his sentencing hearing at Liverpool Crown Court today, Paul Greaney KC, prosecuting described the aftermath of the crash. Pictures showing people being recovered from underneath the Ford Galaxy were shown.
Doyle cried as the court was shown an image of 77-year-old Susan Passey under the front of the Ford Galaxy. Footage showing Ms Passey, an 11-year-old boy and teenagers Aaron Cothliff and Ethan Gilland being released from under the car was played.
Mr Greaney said: “The crowd was, as we’ve seen, unsurprisingly highly hostile towards Paul Doyle by the time his vehicle was brought to a stop and they attempted to drag him out of the Galaxy.
“Blows were delivered to him, and he sustained some minor injuries. Police officers intervened and they forced him into a nearby police van in the midst of that hostile crowd.
“What they, the police officers, did was brave and effective and in due course, we will invite the court to recognise the commitment of the emergency services as a whole that afternoon.
“In the back of the van, captured on the body worn camera of one of the officers at 6.17pm, Paul Doyle said, ‘I’ve just ruined my family’s life’.” In interview, Doyle said he had taken his friend Dave Clark and his family into Liverpool city centre for the parade and returned to pick him up.
He told officers when on Dale Street he had beeped at a parked car and a man with ginger hair had become “very, very aggressive” with him and opened the door to his vehicle.
He then claimed the door was pulled open again and when he looked to the right he saw a group of men with a knife. He said he was hit with a bottle or glass.
He said: “I thought I was going to get stabbed. I was genuinely scared.” He told officers he drove into oncoming pedestrians because he thought he would be dragged out of his car.
He said he was driving slowly when his rear window was smashed and someone had a hand around his throat. He said he could not see properly because alcohol had been thrown into his eyes.
Doyle told police that when he saw someone had been hit by the car, he stopped the vehicle. Paul Greaney KC, prosecuting, said that Paul Doyle’s claim he had seen a group of men, who he described as “drunken loons”, with a knife was an “invention designed to provide a justification for what the defendant did”.
He also said the idea Doyle was unable to see properly because alcohol went into his eyes was one that should be rejected. Doyle told officers he was in a state of blind panic and had “visors on” .
Mr Greaney said: “If he was describing what is sometimes called ‘the red mist’, then we agree. “That is precisely what happened: he became enraged.”
Mr Greaney said Doyle gave a “false and distorted account” in interview.
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.