Ex-Royal Marine Commando Charged After 79 Injured in Liverpool Victory Parade Crash
A dad-of-three and former Royal Marine has been charged after a vehicle drove into crowds celebrating Liverpool FC’s Premier League title win, leaving 79 people injured, including a child who remains in hospital with serious injuries.
Paul Doyle, 53, from the West Derby area of Liverpool, is facing multiple charges including dangerous driving, causing grievous bodily harm with intent, wounding with intent to cause GBH, and attempted GBH. He is due to appear at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
The horrifying incident unfolded on Monday afternoon as thousands of fans lined Water Street to cheer on their team’s long-awaited title parade. The celebrations, marking Liverpool’s first opportunity for a public trophy procession since their 2020 win, which was curtailed by the pandemic, quickly turned to chaos.
Mobile phone footage shows a dark grey Ford Galaxy emerging behind a parked ambulance before suddenly accelerating into the packed crowd. Witnesses described panic as fans attempted to stop the vehicle, smashing its windows and trying to pull the driver out. However, the car surged forward again, sending pedestrians flying and trapping four people underneath, including a child.
Emergency services raced to the scene, with firefighters working rapidly to free those pinned beneath the vehicle. Of the 79 people hospitalised, seven remain in a stable condition, according to Merseyside Police.
Officials have ruled out terrorism as a motive. Police confirmed that Doyle, a white British man, had followed the ambulance through a secure cordon after paramedics were called to a separate medical emergency in the crowd.
Doyle, who previously served in the Royal Marines, is believed to have been running a business before it was dissolved in recent years. The reasons for his actions remain under investigation.
Eyewitness Harry Rashid, 48, who was at the parade with his wife and two young daughters, described the moment the car struck:
“It happened about ten feet from us. We had no control, the street was very narrow. The vehicle came from our right and rammed into the people beside us. It was fast. The noise was terrifying.”
The city, which had come together in joy to celebrate Liverpool’s long-awaited title, was left in shock by the incident.
Merseyside Police are continuing their investigation and have appealed for any witnesses or footage of the event to come forward.
