Man Who Plowed Car Into Liverpool F.C. Parade Is Sentenced to 21 Years

British Man Who Drove Into Soccer Parade Is Sentenced to 21 YearsPaul Doyle struck more than 130 people when he plowed his car through fans leaving a jubilant victory parade for Liverpool F.C.Water Street in Liverpool, England, in May, after a car rammed into people gathered for a parade.Credit...Paul Ellis/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesDec. 16, 2025, 8:31 a.m. ETA man who drove into crowds of soccer fans celebrating Liverpool’s victory in England’s Premier League has been sent to prison for 21 years and six months after prosecutors said he acted in a fit of road rage.Paul Doyle, 54, struck more than 130 people with his car over the course of two minutes on May 26, stopping only when a former soldier jumped into the back seat and pulled the gear shift into park. Even with four people trapped under the vehicle, prosecutors said, Mr. Doyle still had his foot on the gas pedal.Mr. Doyle initially blamed Liverpool fans leaving an official parade for causing him to “panic” and fear for his life, and he denied all charges related to the ramming for six months. He changed his pleas to guilty on the day his trial was set to begin last month.Sentencing him for 31 offenses, including causing grievous bodily harm and dangerous driving, at Liverpool-crown-court" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="7117" data-entity-type="organization">Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday, Judge Andrew Menary said Mr. Doyle had accelerated into crowds that included babies and children “time and time again,” in what many witnesses “believed in the moment to be a mass-casualty terror attack.”While all the victims survived, the judge said many had suffered significant injuries and been left with physical disabilities and psychological trauma.“The crowd did not cause this incident; they reacted to it,” Judge Menary said. “To drive a vehicle into crowds of pedestrians with such persistence and disregard for human life defies ordinary understanding.”This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.SKIP Site IndexNewsHome PageU.S.WorldPoliticsNew YorkEducationSportsBusinessTechScienceWeatherThe Great ReadObituariesHeadwayVisual InvestigationsThe MagazineArtsBook ReviewBest Sellers Book ListDanceMoviesMusicPop CultureTelevisionTheaterVisual ArtsLifestyleHealthWellFoodRestaurant ReviewsLoveTravelStyleFashionReal EstateT MagazineOpinionToday's OpinionColumnistsEditorialsGuest EssaysOp-DocsLettersSunday OpinionOpinion VideoOpinion AudioMoreAudioGamesCookingWirecutterThe AthleticJobsVideoGraphicsTrendingLive EventsCorrectionsReader CenterTimesMachineThe Learning NetworkSchool of The NYTinEducationAccountSubscribeManage My AccountHome DeliveryGift SubscriptionsGroup SubscriptionsGift ArticlesEmail NewslettersNYT LicensingReplica EditionTimes Store