JAKARTA - A driver who used a car as a "weapon" to hit more than 100 people celebrating Liverpool's victory in the 2024/2025 English League title has pleaded guilty.
Paul Doyle, described as a "family man" by prosecutors, wept as footage of the horrific incident was played repeatedly in a city court on Monday, December 15, 2025, local time.
During the sentencing hearing, it emerged that the 54-year-old was extremely angry and his anger had completely taken over him.
Doyle previously pleaded guilty to 31 offences relating to seriously injuring people during the victory parade in May 2025.
Prosecutors said within two minutes, Doyle's Ford Galaxy - which weighed almost two tonnes - had hit more than 100 people and he caused serious injuries to people in the crowd, even children, to achieve his goal by breaking through the crowd.
Doyle admitted dangerous driving, affray, 17 charges of attempted grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, nine charges of GBH with intent, and three charges of wounding with intent last month.
He had previously denied the offences, which relate to 29 victims aged between six months and 77 years.
The court was told a man named Daniel Barr, who was described as a "hero" by prosecutors, had bravely jumped into the back of Doyle's car and parked the vehicle.
Barr was in the back seat of the car for the last 16 seconds of its movement and told police that as he walked on Water Street, he saw the Ford Galaxy in the distance and noted that the crowd's attitude suddenly changed from happy to desperate and saw people thrown into the air.
The horrific dashcam footage was shown in court on the first day of his sentencing hearing, with the defendant heard shouting "get out of the way", "fucking bastard", and "get out of the fucking way".
Pedestrians pulled their children out of Doyle's car lane to prevent them from being hit. The footage shows the windshield shattered after a man landed on the roof of the car.
Doyle wept as the footage was shown in court, bowed her head, and closed her eyes as the footage showed her car crashing into a crowd of Liverpool fans. The victims in court also wept as the video played.
"The strong conclusion from the dashcam footage is that the defendant considers himself to be the most important person on Dale Street and considers that everyone else needs to get out of the way so that he can get to where he wants to go," said Prosecutor, Paul Greaney KC, in the opening of the trial. case.
The court heard several clips of the incident, which prosecutors described as "shocking". In some footage, a pram is seen overturned.
"The case we are prosecuting is a man who is on the rampage, whose anger has completely taken over him," the prosecutor said again.
After the rampage, Doyle told officers in the back of a police car, "I just destroyed my family's life."
Referring to the time period between 17.59 and 18.01 on May 26, 2025, Greaney further told the court that his prosecution case was that the defendant had used the vehicle as a weapon during that time period.
"By doing this, he not only caused massive injury, but he also instilled terror in those who attended an event they thought would be a day of joy," Greaney said, as reported by ESPN.
Greaney said Doyle was actually in the city to pick up a friend and his family from Liverpool's title celebrations.
"That the accused was initially motivated by kindness on that day only makes what he did then all the more shocking."
"The truth is simple. Paul Doyle just lost his patience because of his desire to get to where he wanted to be."
"In a fit of rage, he drove towards the crowd. When he did so, he intended to cause people in the crowd to suffer serious injuries."
"He caused people in the crowd, even children, serious injuries to achieve his goal by breaking through the crowd."
"So, the reality is that the consequences of that day are very terrible. The defendant is the person who drove a vehicle weighing 1.9 tons."
"He is the one who should be careful and have responsibility for the pedestrians in front of him," said Greaney.
Prosecutors told the court that Doyle had the opportunity to stop and seek protection from the police officer he passed during the brutal attack.
"In the interview, he still stated that he felt afraid. If so, this is an opportunity to stop and get protection."
"Indeed, the police are not limited to the police car. As we have seen in the footage, they are chasing the defendant on the street."
"In a short time, he hit a female officer. The point is that there are many police officers in the area who can be asked for help and protection by the defendant."
"He did not do it because his claims in the interview regarding his motivation were not true," the prosecutor said again.
Doyle was arrested at the scene on Water Street just after 6pm and charged a few days later.
The youngest victim was six-month-old Teddy Eveson, whose parents later told media he had been thrown about 15ft onto the road from inside his pushchair when the crash happened.
Doyle, from Croxteth, Liverpool, admitted attempting to cause grievous bodily harm to the baby.
The other five children, whom Doyle stabbed or tried to stab, cannot be named for legal reasons.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
