A 54-year-old man who deliberately drove his car into crowds of people celebrating Liverpool Football Club’s Premier League victory parade in May has been sentenced to 21 years and six months in prison after pleading guilty to multiple serious offences. Paul Doyle, driving a grey Ford Galaxy, ploughed into spectators in Liverpool city centre on 26 May 2025 during a parade attended by approximately one million people. Over the course of just 77 seconds, his vehicle struck at least 134 people, including infants, children, and elderly fans.
Dash-cam and CCTV footage presented in court showed Doyle accelerating into the crowds while shouting obscenities, ignoring traffic cones and warnings. Pedestrians were knocked to the ground, hurled onto the bonnet of the car, or struck multiple times before bystanders intervened to stop the vehicle. Doyle initially denied the charges but changed his plea to guilty in November 2025, admitting to 31 offences including dangerous driving, affray, nine counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, seventeen counts of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent, and three counts of wounding with intent. The charges covered harms inflicted on 29 named victims, ranging in age from six months to 77 years.
At Liverpool Crown Court, Judge Andrew Menary KC described Doyle’s actions as “inexplicable and undiluted fury,” noting his deliberate driving into pedestrians showed a “disregard for human life” that was “almost impossible to comprehend.” Emotional victim impact statements were read during sentencing, highlighting life-altering injuries, psychological trauma, and ongoing recovery, with some survivors reporting flashbacks, PTSD, and the loss of normalcy following the attack. The violence only ended when a former soldier and parade spectator, Daniel Barr, courageously climbed into the back of Doyle’s automatic vehicle and shifted it into park, stopping further devastation.
Prosecutors explained that Doyle became irate while trying to drive through the crowded streets to collect friends and family after the celebrations. Although he later claimed he feared for his safety, investigators found no evidence of any immediate threat that would justify his actions. Court documents revealed Doyle had prior convictions from the 1990s for violent behaviour, although he had led a crime-free life for decades before the parade incident.
The sentence has drawn nationwide attention, with many commentators noting the severity of the attack and the large number of victims injured. Observers have highlighted the fact that no fatalities occurred despite the scale of the incident, calling it a “miracle.” The case underscores concerns about public safety at large-scale celebrations and the importance of rapid intervention by bystanders and authorities to prevent further harm.
English