Ex-Royal Marine Paul Doyle Sent Down Over Horrific Liverpool FC Parade Crash
Paul Doyle, a former Royal Marine commando, has been locked up for 21 and a half years after he rammed his Ford Galaxy into the packed Liverpool FC trophy parade crowds. The 54-year-old’s rampage on May 26 left at least 134 people injured, including babies just six and seven months old.
Fans celebrating Liverpool’s Premier League win were crushed, thrown, and trapped beneath the vehicle as Doyle sped through the sea of red shirts on Water Street.
Babies Thrown 15ft in Chaos
One harrowing moment involved five-month-old Teddy Eveson, whose parents had proudly dressed him in a tiny Liverpool shirt for the parade. Teddy was tossed 15 feet by the impact. Prosecutor Paul Greaney KC told the court, “The defendant drove into that pram. Remarkably, Teddy was uninjured.”
“In that moment I thought I was going to die… I felt an overwhelming pain in my leg and saw Teddy’s pram tipped over. I thought he was dead,” said Teddy’s mother, Sheree Aldridge.
Seven Minutes of Terror Ended by Heroic Intervention
Doyle’s seven-minute spree only stopped when brave Daniel Barr climbed into the driver’s seat and shifted the car into park. Police labeled dashcam footage from Doyle’s vehicle as some of the most graphic and distressing they have ever seen, with Doyle angrily shouting, “Get out the f****** way!” as he ploughed into the crowds.
Judge Andrew Menary KC sentenced Doyle, saying, “You intended to hurt anyone who got in your way — even children. You struck people head-on, knocked others onto the bonnet, drove over limbs, crushed prams, and forced terrified people to scatter. This was not reckless panic — it was a calculated rage-fuelled attack.”
Victims and Police Speak Out
Detective Chief Inspector John Fitzgerald of Merseyside Police described Doyle’s “total disregard” for the safety of others as “beyond comprehension” and said it was “sheer luck no one died.”
Victims described lasting trauma — from shattered limbs to crippling anxiety. Jack Trotter, 23, said his football career was ended by the crash. A 16-year-old victim revealed he still wakes in terror, expecting the car to return. Another young victim is now too anxious to be in crowds.
“We did not deserve this. No one does,” said Robin Darke, 62, who was left freezing and in agony on the street for hours after suffering permanent scarring.
Police officers at the scene called the explosion of terror the most traumatic event they had seen. Sergeant Sadie Harker said, “I feared for my life; the first time I have felt like that in 22 years of policing.”
Doyle’s Denial and Guilty Plea
Doyle claimed he was attacked and in fear during the crash but changed his plea last month, admitting 31 charges including dangerous driving, multiple counts of grievous bodily harm with intent, and affray.
Prosecutors dismissed Doyle’s defence as untrue, pointing out the huge scale of injuries and horror caused as he “used the vehicle as a weapon.” Police also confirmed Doyle was sober and an experienced driver when he accelerated into the crowds.
In police custody, Doyle lamented, “I’ve just ruined my family’s life.” His family previously described his actions as “sheer madness” and a shocking betrayal of Liverpool fans’ trust.
