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Liverpool has released a statement following Paul Doyle’s decision to plead guilty to all 31 charges related to the title parade crash, with the club saying it hopes this “brings some peace to all those affected by the horrific incident”.
Doyle dramatically changed his plea on the second day of his hearing in Liverpool and sobbed as he issued the update aloud in court. The father-of-three’s actions in May this year injured over 130 people, just minutes after Liverpool’s team bus had departed The Strand in the city center.
Liverpool’s players and staff sent messages in the wake of the horrific events, which mercifully did not result in any fatalities.
In a statement released hours after Doyle’s conviction was announced, the club said: “Our victory parade last May allowed an unprecedented number of Liverpool fans to celebrate together our Premier League title win – something we were unable to do in 2020.
“The day of incredible joy ended in unimaginable circumstances and we hope today's conviction brings some peace to all those affected by the horrific incident. Our thoughts are with them all.
“We would like to thank our emergency services and partner agencies – Merseyside Police, North West and St John Ambulance Services, Merseyside Fire & Rescue – and members of the public, who responded with such bravery and compassion on the day. Their actions undoubtedly saved lives and exemplified the spirit of our city.”
A two-day sentencing hearing has been scheduled for Doyle on December 15 and 16. The maximum sentence for the offenses he committed is life imprisonment.
Sarah Hammond, chief crown prosecutor for the Crime Prosecution Service, said: “Dashcam footage from Doyle's vehicle shows that as he approached Dale Street and Water Street, he became increasingly agitated by the crowds.
“Rather than wait for them to pass, he deliberately drove at them, forcing his way through. Driving a vehicle into a crowd is an act of calculated violence.
“This was not a momentary lapse by Paul Doyle — it was a choice he made that day and it turned celebration into mayhem.”
Those injured in May included two babies and six other children, and Detective Chief Inspector John Fitzgerald said "it is hard to forget the shocking scenes from that day”.
“What should have been a day of celebration for the city turned into a distressing and frightening experience which we know continues to have a physical and psychological impact on many people," he added.
“Thousands of people had gathered in the city to watch the Liverpool FC parade and it is only by sheer luck that nobody was killed because of Doyle's reckless actions.”
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