Former marine who drove into football fans during Liverpool parade after Premier League trophy win gets 21 years jail sentence

Paul Doyle, a 54 year old father of two and former Royal Marine commando, has been sentenced to 21 and a half years in prison after driving his Ford Galaxy into crowds during Liverpool FCs trophy parade on May 26. The court heard that at least 134 people were injured, including very young children and babies. Prosecutors said supporters were struck head on, thrown onto the bonnet and in some cases ended up trapped under the vehicle as it continued moving through the packed street. One of the most harrowing accounts involved a pram being hit, with baby Teddy Eveson thrown about 15 feet. Prosecutor Paul Greaney KC told the court: The defendant drove into that pram. Remarkably, [Teddy] was uninjured. Teddys parents, Sheree Aldridge and Dan Eveson, had dressed him in a Liverpool shirt for the parade. Aldridge described thinking her son had died and fearing she would not survive the incident. Doyle was eventually stopped when a member of the public, Daniel Barr, got into the vehicle and put it into park after around seven minutes of destruction.  The judge, Andrew Menary KC, said the footage was truly shocking and that Doyle repeatedly accelerated into fans, describing scenes in which people were hit, knocked aside and forced to scatter in terror. The judge rejected any suggestion that it was a brief lapse, saying it was driven by rage. Police and prosecutors described the dashcam video as especially disturbing. In it, Doyle can reportedly be heard shouting get out the f****** way as people were hit. The prosecution said the incident was not terrorism, the car was not faulty, and Doyle was sober. Doyle claimed he panicked after being attacked and having his windows broken, but the prosecution said that account was untrue. Greaney told the court: That is untrue. He added: The defendant used the vehicle as a weapon. He not only caused injury on a large scale but also generated horror in those attending what they had thought would be a day of joyfulness.  Doyle later pleaded guilty to 31 charges, including dangerous driving, affray, multiple counts of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent, causing grievous bodily harm with intent, and wounding with intent. Victim statements described lasting physical injuries and deep trauma. Some spoke about fearing they would die, struggling with pain and disability, and being unable to cope in crowds. One police officer who responded said it was the most traumatic incident of her career. A police bodycam recorded Doyle after his arrest saying: Ive just ruined my familys life.The post Former marine who drove into football fans during Liverpool parade after Premier League trophy win gets 21 years jail sentence appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.