On a day that was meant to be a jubilant celebration for Liverpool, tragedy struck when a driver, Paul Doyle, plowed his minivan into a crowd of soccer fans during the Premier League victory parade on May 26, 2025. The rampage left more than 130 people injured and cast a long shadow over what should have been a momentous occasion for the city. On December 16, 2025, Doyle was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court to 21 years and six months in prison, marking the end of a harrowing chapter for both the victims and the broader Liverpool community.
The incident unfolded just after 6 p.m. as fans, young and old, were making their way home from the parade that had drawn tens of thousands to the city center. According to BBC News, Doyle, a 54-year-old IT worker and Everton fan, had agreed earlier that day to drive a family friend, Dave Clark, and his family to the parade. After dropping them off in the city center, Doyle returned home, only to become increasingly agitated by the crowds and traffic when he set out again to pick up his friends later in the afternoon.
The court heard that Doyle’s journey back into Liverpool was marked by a series of aggressive driving maneuvers. He undertook several cars, ran red lights, and became visibly frustrated by the congestion caused by the parade. As described by Reuters, dashcam footage played in court showed Doyle deliberately accelerating into groups of fans, some of whom were thrown onto the bonnet of his car or fell beneath it as he sped down streets that had been closed to traffic for the event. The footage, in the words of Judge Andrew Menary, was “truly shocking.”
“It is difficult, if not impossible, to convey in words alone the scenes of devastation you caused. It shows you deliberately accelerating into groups of fans, time and time again,” Judge Menary said during sentencing, as reported by The Associated Press. The judge went on to dismiss Doyle’s explanation that he had panicked, calling it “demonstrably untrue.” Instead, Menary described Doyle’s actions as the result of “inexplicable and undiluted fury.”
Doyle pleaded guilty last month to 31 counts, including dangerous driving, affray, nine counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, and 17 counts of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm. The prosecution emphasized that Doyle’s rage had completely overtaken him, leading him to use his vehicle as a weapon against innocent bystanders. “He was a man in a rage, whose anger had completely taken hold of him,” prosecutor Paul Greaney told the court, according to BBC News.
The impact of the attack was devastating. Victims ranged in age from six-month-old Teddy Eveson, whose pram was thrown into the air but who miraculously survived, to 77-year-old Susan Passey. Statements from 78 victims were read aloud in court, painting a picture of the deep physical and psychological scars left by Doyle’s actions. One woman, Susan Farrell, spoke of how her daughter, a die-hard Liverpool fan, could no longer watch matches: “The sight of red shirts and the sounds of chants are unbearable reminders of that day.”
Others described lifelong consequences. A 16-year-old boy, kept awake by nightmares, lost his apprenticeship as a woodworker because he could no longer concentrate. A 23-year-old man had to relearn how to walk. Some victims, not even from Liverpool, now found the city’s accent a trigger for anxiety. The court also heard from mothers who witnessed their children being struck by the vehicle, and from paramedics who rushed to aid the injured amid chaos and confusion.
Amid the horror, acts of bravery shone through. The rampage came to a halt only when ex-soldier Dan Barr leapt into action. Barr, who was praised by the judge as “outstandingly brave,” climbed into the backseat of Doyle’s car and held the gear selector in park mode, preventing further carnage. Even as Doyle continued to try to accelerate, the vehicle was finally brought to a stop, with four people pinned underneath. Barr’s intervention likely saved lives, and his courage was recognized by all present in court.
Throughout the two-day sentencing hearing, Doyle appeared emotional, at times weeping as prosecutors recounted the events and read victim statements. His lawyer, Simon Csoka, told the court, “The defendant is horrified by what he did. He is remorseful, ashamed and deeply sorry for all those who were hurt or suffered.” Yet, for many, Doyle’s tears provided little comfort in the face of such overwhelming loss and trauma. As one victim bluntly put it: “Don’t sit in the dock and cry for yourself.”
The court also learned of Doyle’s violent past, including previous convictions for violence in the 1990s. While he appeared to have settled down in recent years, the events of May 26 revealed a capacity for aggression that proved catastrophic. Notably, toxicology reports confirmed that Doyle was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the attack, and his vehicle was found to have no mechanical defects. The prosecution made clear that the explanation for his actions was “as simple as the consequences were awful”—Doyle’s rage at being delayed in picking up his friend had spiraled into an act of mass violence.
The timeline of events, meticulously reconstructed by investigators, showed how a mundane day devolved into tragedy. From Doyle’s initial drive into the city with his friends, to his increasingly aggressive behavior on the roads, and finally to the catastrophic two-minute rampage that left 134 people injured, the sequence underscored the unpredictability of human anger and the fragility of public safety in crowded celebrations.
As Liverpool comes to terms with the aftermath, questions linger about how such an event could unfold so quickly, and what measures might prevent similar tragedies in the future. For now, the city’s focus remains on healing and supporting those whose lives were forever changed. The sentencing of Paul Doyle, while bringing a measure of justice, cannot undo the pain inflicted on that fateful day.
In the words of Judge Menary, “To drive a vehicle into crowds of pedestrians with such persistence and disregard for human life defies ordinary understanding.” The memory of May 26, 2025, will not soon fade for Liverpool, but the resilience of its people—and the bravery shown in the face of disaster—offers a glimmer of hope amid the sorrow.
