Liverpool Parade Attacker Paul Doyle Sentenced to 21 Years and Six Months in Prison After Driving Into Fans

A Day of Celebration Turns to Horror at Liverpool’s Title-Winning Parade

What should have been one of the proudest, most joyful days in Liverpool’s modern football history will forever carry a darker footnote. As red flares lit the sky and tens of thousands of supporters flooded the streets to celebrate Liverpool’s Premier League title, a moment of collective happiness was shattered by an act of shocking violence.

Paul Doyle, the man who drove his car into crowds of Liverpool fans during the club’s title parade, has now been sentenced to 21 years and six months in prison. The 54-year-old pleaded guilty to 31 offences relating to the serious injury of members of the public after deliberately ploughing his vehicle into groups of supporters on May 26.

More than 100 people were caught up in the chaos that unfolded in just two minutes in Liverpool city centre. Parents, children, police officers and lifelong fans celebrating a once-in-a-generation football moment were suddenly forced to run for their lives.

In court, the judge described Doyle’s actions as calculated, rage-driven, and utterly devastating.

What the Judge Said in the Liverpool Parade Attacker Case,

Liverpool Premier League Trophy Parade

Sentencing Doyle, Judge Andrew Menary KC left no room for ambiguity about the severity of the crimes.

“Your driving into the city was routinely dangerous,” he told Doyle. “From the outset, your driving was aggressive and dangerous. Between 5.59 and 6.01pm you used your vehicle as a weapon.”

The court was shown footage from the scene, which the judge described as “truly shocking”. It captured Doyle deliberately accelerating into crowds of people who had no time or space to escape.

“It shows you quite deliberately accelerating,” Judge Menary said. “You drove over limbs, crushed prams. A number of witnesses, including serving police officers, said you continued to accelerate.”

The judge emphasised that this was not a momentary lapse of judgement or a split-second mistake.

“Your actions caused horror and devastation on a scale never previously seen before these courts,” he added. “You did not accept responsibility for your actions, nor did you acknowledge the obvious risk you created or the harm you caused. You sought instead to minimise blame.”

‘You Lost Your Temper in a Rage’

One of the most damning aspects of the sentencing was the judge’s clear rejection of any suggestion that Doyle panicked or acted without intent.

“In order to properly understand this case, it is important to recognise the offences were not ones of momentary recklessness,” Judge Menary explained. “The truth was, you lost your temper in a rage, determined to force your way through the crowd regardless of the consequences.”

By pleading guilty, Doyle accepted that he intended to cause serious harm.

“By your pleas of guilty you admit you intended to cause serious harm to that end,” the judge continued, “even to children.”

Those words hung heavily over the courtroom. This was not simply dangerous driving. It was the deliberate use of a car as a weapon in a densely packed public space, during an event designed to bring people together.

Judge Praises Hero Who Helped Stop the Car

Amid the devastation, the court also heard of courage.

Judge Menary singled out Daniel Barr, a member of the public who helped bring Doyle’s car to a stop, preventing further injuries and potentially saving lives.

“His actions prevented further injury and may well have saved lives,” the judge said.

In moments of chaos, Barr’s intervention stood as a reminder that bravery can emerge even in the darkest situations. Several police officers and bystanders were also praised for their swift response as they worked to protect those trapped in the path of the vehicle.

The Scale of the Attack Laid Bare

The judge returned repeatedly to the sheer scale of what Doyle had done.

“You made the conscious choice to drive past the cones and into the heart of the crowd,” he said. “In a mere two minutes you used your vehicle in a manner that turned it into a weapon.”

The language was stark, but intentionally so.

“You deliberately drove into and over more than 100 pedestrians,” Judge Menary continued. “The footage is truly shocking. It is difficult, if not impossible, to convey in words alone the scenes of devastation you caused.”

This was not a single impact, nor an isolated incident. Doyle drove repeatedly into groups of fans, accelerating again and again.

What Doyle’s Defence Said

Doyle’s defence attorney, Mr Csoka, attempted to provide context to his client’s behaviour, arguing that it took months for Doyle to fully comprehend the gravity of what he had done.

“He’s appalled by his own conduct,” Csoka told the court. “The spiralling effect of his conduct was utterly unexpected by him and utterly unexpected by all those who know him well.”

The defence described a period of denial following the incident.

“There has been a period of denial,” Csoka said. “There clearly has been an avoidance of reality and that’s a well-recognised phenomenon when an individual is involved in an unexpected event such as this, even when it was his responsibility.”

He added that Doyle struggled to reconcile his actions with the person he believed himself to be.

“The defendant wasn’t able immediately to reconcile the man that he has been for the last 30 years with the way he behaved on 26 May,” he said.

Judge Rejects Claims of Panic

Despite acknowledging the defence’s arguments around remorse, Judge Menary was unequivocal in his response.

He stated clearly that Doyle’s claim of acting in panic was “demonstrably untrue”.

“The position should be stated clearly,” the judge said. “The crowd did not cause this incident. They reacted to it, faced with a vehicle being driven directly at them.”

He went on to defend the actions of the public.

“They had no idea who you were, why you were driving in this manner, and whether this was an attack of an even more serious nature,” he said. “The chaos that unfolded was caused solely by your driving.”

Any attempt to shift blame toward Liverpool supporters was dismissed outright.

“Any attempt to place the responsibility on the public or the Liverpool fans present is wholly unfounded and unfair,” the judge concluded.

Previous Convictions Not Taken Into Account

Liverpool Premier League Trophy ParadeThe court heard that Doyle had previous military and civilian convictions on his record. However, these were not considered when determining his sentence.

Judge Menary noted that Doyle had remained on the right side of the law for three decades prior to the events in Liverpool city centre. Even so, the severity of the crimes committed on May 26 outweighed any mitigation.

The sentence of 21 years and six months reflects the court’s view that Doyle poses a significant danger and that the punishment must reflect the harm caused to victims, families, and the wider community.

A City Still Processing the Trauma

Liverpool is a city that knows how to celebrate football. Title parades, European nights, and shared moments of joy are part of its cultural fabric. That is what made the events of May 26 so profoundly disturbing.

For many who were there, the memories of red shirts, songs, and flags will forever be intertwined with fear, sirens, and screams.

This sentencing brings a measure of justice, but it does not erase the trauma endured by those injured, nor the emotional scars carried by witnesses. What it does do is send a clear message: acts of violence disguised as moments of rage will be met with the full weight of the law.

A football parade is meant to unite. What happened that day was an attack not just on individuals, but on a city’s right to celebrate safely.