Paul Doyle said he 'just panicked' in Liverpool parade attack

CPS

A man who used his car as a "weapon" to plough into more than 100 people at Liverpool's victory parade told police he did it "because of fear" and "panicked", a court has heard.

Prosecutors told Liverpool Crown Court these were lies Paul Doyle told to police about what happened in the rampage on Water Street on 26 May.

Doyle was interviewed a number of times by police and shown the footage from his own dashcam but gave inconsistent accounts of the incident.

The court heard from a number of victims, including Sheree Aldridge, 37, who said she thought her baby son Teddy Eveson died after his pram was thrown into the air after being hit by Doyle's car, adding that she thought she would "be next".

She said: "I felt an overwhelming pain in my leg and looked up to see Teddy's pushchair on its side further up the road. I thought my Teddy was dead.

"I thought I was next. I thought my children would grow up without a mother."

Hers was one of a number of victim impact statements read before the court, with others describing how they have suffered from "emotional and psychological injury" as well as "frequent flashbacks".

A 12-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said: "I found myself on the floor having been hit by a car I did not see coming, I have never felt so scared before in my life."

The boy's mother said in her statement her heart sank when she saw her child motionless on the floor.

She said: "The sight of my son lying motionless on the road, not moving for those few seconds, and the sound of the car hitting people will live with me forever."

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In the back of police van immediately after the attack, Doyle told officers "I've just ruined my family's life".

He previously pleaded guilty to 31 offences relating to seriously injuring people during the victory parade when thousands of Liverpool fans were in the city.

The former Royal Marine, of Croxteth, Liverpool, changed his plea on the second day of his trial last month.

He admitted to 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.

Doyle was picking up friends from the parade when in the space of two minutes between 17:59 BST and 18:01 he "used the vehicle as a weapon" and hit more than 100 supporters, Paul Greaney KC, prosecuting, said

The 54-year-old defendant cried frequently as horrifying CCTV and dashcam footage was played to the court on the first day of his two-day sentencing hearing.

In the footage, the attacker can be heard shouting "move" and expletives at the crowd including after he struck a 10-year-old girl.

Mr Greaney described Doyle as a "man out of control" as a 15-second CCTV clip was played of the moment his vehicle hits Teddy's pram.

The Honorary Recorder of Liverpool, Judge Andrew Menary KC, lifted reporting restrictions preventing the media from publishing the baby's name as his parents had agreed for their son to be identified.

Mr Greaney said, Teddy "remarkably" escaped injury.

Five other children, who Doyle either injured or attempted to injure, cannot be named for legal reasons.

Other footage showed the windscreen of his car smashed after a man landed on it.

Mr Greaney told the court: "The strong sense from the dashcam footage is that the defendant regarded himself as the most important person on Dale Street, and considered that everyone else needed to get out of his way so that he could get to where he wanted to get to."

He added: "The truth is a simple one. Paul Doyle just lost his temper in his desire to get to where he wanted."

"In a rage, he drove into the crowd, and when he did so, he intended to cause people within the crowd serious harm.

"He was prepared to cause those in the crowd, even children, serious harm if necessary to achieve his aim of getting through."

He told the court that when Doyle was interviewed by police, he claimed he had stopped the car as soon as he realised he had struck someone.

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Mr Greaney said: "The defendant could not have failed to see that he had struck very many people on his journey down Dale Street and Water Street, stopping to reverse and then drive on a number of times.

"In any event, what brought the Galaxy to a halt was a combination of the number of people trapped beneath the vehicle and the actions of Daniel Barr - not the decision of Paul Doyle.

Mr Greaney said: "[Barr] saw the Galaxy weaving and hitting people, who were sent flying into the air.

"All of a sudden, the vehicle stopped right beside him. Daniel Barr instinctively pulled open the rear passenger-side door and climbed in. He did so with the intention of stopping the driver.

"As the car set off again, he leaned forward and moved the gear selector into "park". He held it there as hard as he could. The Galaxy did not stop immediately, but in the end it did.

"However, Daniel Barr describes how even after he had brought the vehicle to a halt, the defendant continued to keep his foot on the accelerator.

"That proposition is supported by other witnesses, too."

The hearing is set to continue on Tuesday morning.