Paul Doyle jailed 21 years for Liverpool road rage attack, causing injuries to 134 people during Premier League celebrations

Paul Doyle, 54, has been sentenced to 21 years and six months in prison for driving into crowds celebrating Liverpool’s Premier League victory, leaving scenes of “horror and devastation,” Liverpool Crown Court heard on Tuesday.

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Judge Andrew Menary described Doyle’s actions as unprecedented, stating, “What should have been a day of communal celebration has been instead left as a lasting legacy of fear, injury, and loss across this community.”

Dashcam footage played during the two-day sentencing revealed Doyle aggressively beeping, shouting, and swearing at pedestrians before using his Ford Galaxy Titanium as a weapon.

Prosecutor Paul Greaney told the court that Doyle injured 134 people in less than ten minutes, including a six-month-old baby who was thrown from a pram but survived unhurt.

Doyle pleaded guilty last month to 31 criminal charges, including causing grievous bodily harm with intent, wounding with intent, affray, and dangerous driving. The offences involved 29 victims aged between six months and 77 years.

The incident occurred on May 26, as Doyle set out to collect a friend amid Liverpool fans celebrating the club’s record-equalling 20th English top-flight title.

He drove indiscriminately into the crowd, reversing at one point and even colliding with an ambulance. Witnesses described horrific scenes, with people trapped under the car and others pushed to safety by onlookers.

Detective Chief Inspector John Fitzgerald of Merseyside Police said the footage was among the most graphic he had encountered in 20 years of service.

“It’s really difficult to comprehend how somebody can just drive over people in a fit of rage to get to where he wants to get to,” Fitzgerald told AFP.

Judge Menary emphasised that Doyle had multiple opportunities to stop but chose to continue, causing permanent injuries and trauma to numerous victims. Doyle sobbed openly as victim impact statements detailed long-term physical and psychological effects.

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The case, while not classified as terrorism by police, left a profound impact on the community and serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of road rage.