Ex-Royal Marine Jailed for Horrific Liverpool FC Parade Crash
Paul Doyle, a former Royal Marine commando, has been slammed with a staggering 21-and-a-half-year sentence after he ploughed his Ford Galaxy into crowds celebrating Liverpool FC’s Premier League win. The 54-year-old’s terrifying rampage on May 26 left at least 134 people injured — including babies as young as six months.
Fans decked out in red were crushed, thrown, and trapped under the speeding vehicle on Water Street. The joyous celebration turned into a nightmare in seconds.
Babies Thrown 15ft in Horror Chaos
One chilling moment involved just five-month-old Teddy Eveson, dressed head-to-toe in Liverpool kit. Doyle’s car slammed into Teddy’s pram, tossing it a terrifying 15ft. 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 Brave Bystander
Doyle’s rampage lasted a horrifying seven minutes, only stopped when hero Daniel Barr leapt into the driver’s seat and switched the car to park. Police described dashcam footage from Doyle’s rampage as some of the “most graphic and distressing” ever seen. Doyle could be heard shouting, “Get out the f****** way!” as he smashed into the crowd.
Judge Andrew Menary KC condemned him, saying: “You intended to hurt anyone in your way — even children. You hit people head-on, knocked others onto the bonnet, crushed limbs and prams. This wasn’t panic, it was calculated, rage-fuelled attack.”
Victims and Police Speak Out on Tragedy
Detective Chief Inspector John Fitzgerald slammed Doyle’s “total disregard” for lives as “beyond comprehension” and said it was “sheer luck no one died.”
Survivors face lasting trauma — from shattered limbs to crippling anxiety. Jack Trotter, 23, saw his football career ended by the crash. A 16-year-old victim still wakes terrified the car will return. Another young fan now avoids crowds altogether.
“We did not deserve this. No one does,” said Robin Darke, 62, who was left freezing and in agony for hours with permanent scars.
Officers called it the most traumatic scene in their 22 years of policing. Sergeant Sadie Harker said, “I feared for my life; the first time I have felt like that in 22 years.”
Doyle’s Denial Crumbles as He Pleads Guilty
Doyle initially claimed he had been attacked and feared for his life, but last month he caved and pleaded guilty to 31 charges — including dangerous driving, grievous bodily harm with intent, and affray.
Prosecutors branded his defence “utterly untrue,” listing the vast injuries and terror caused as Doyle “used the vehicle as a weapon.” Police confirmed he was sober and a seasoned driver when he accelerated into the crowds.
In custody, Doyle sobbed, “I’ve just ruined my family’s life.” His family described his actions as “sheer madness” and a “shocking betrayal” of Liverpool fans’ trust.
