A DAD-of-three charged after 79 people were injured in the Liverpool parade smash has been revealed as an ex-Royal Marine.
Football fans were celebrating the team’s Premier League win when a vehicle ploughed into crowds on Monday afternoon.
Paul Doyle, a resident of West Derby in Liverpool, was apprehended after courageous fans tried to break the car windows when he seemed to hesitate.
Now, the 53-year-old faces charges of dangerous driving, intentionally causing grievous bodily harm (GBH), deliberate wounding with intent to cause GBH, and attempted GBH.
Doyle has been remanded into custody to appear at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court today.
The charges come after Merseyside Police quickly ruled out terrorism as a motive for the alleged attack.
Addressing the situation, Sarah Hammond, the Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS Mersey-Cheshire, stated: “The inquiry is in its early phases. Prosecutors and law enforcement are diligently examining a substantial amount of evidence.”
“This includes multiple pieces of video footage and numerous witness statements. It is important to ensure every victim gets the justice they deserve.
“The charges will be kept under review as the investigation progresses.
“We know Monday’s shocking scenes reverberated around the city of Liverpool, and the entire country, on what should have been a day of celebration for hundreds of thousands of Liverpool FC supporters. Our thoughts remain with all those affected.”
Doyle was previously a Royal Marine commando but is now understood to be a businessman who ran a now-dissolved firm.
He has previously competed in triathlons and enjoyed luxury holidays.
Neighbours in his quiet suburb claimed his wife only found out about the crash when she saw the car on the news.
Police have been outside his four-bedroom family home where he lives with his teacher wife and three children since Monday.
The carnage unfolded on Monday after thousands of Liverpool fans packed the streets to watch the title winners parade the Premier League trophy on an open-top bus.
It was the first time since 1990 that fans could celebrate a title win with a parade after their 2020 success came during the pandemic.
But the festivities quickly turned to horror when a dark grey Ford Galaxy suddenly appeared in Water Street.
Merseyside Police confirmed the car had followed an ambulance beyond the cordon as medics were called to help a member of the public having a suspected heart attack.
Mobile phone footage showed it ploughing into the crowd as screams were heard.
It then came to a stop as fearless fans rushed over in a bid to drag the driver from the car.
But the vehicle then lurched forward again – sending pedestrians scattering before finally coming to a standstill.
Fire crews arrived to find four people trapped under the vehicle, including a child, and worked quickly to free them.
Around 79 people were rushed to hospital, with two – including a child – suffering serious injuries.
Police confirmed on Wednesday that seven remain in hospital in a stable condition.
Harry Rashid, 48, who was at the parade with his wife and two young daughters, said: “It happened about ten feet from us.
“We had no control over where we would be because the street was very narrow.
“The vehicle came to our right. It emerged from just right next to a parked ambulance.
“It pulled up from the right and rammed into all the people at the side of us. It was fast. The noise was terrifying.”
Merseyside Police confirmed the horror was not being treated as terror-related and said the driver was a white British man.
Sir Keir Starmer also released a statement, saying: “The scenes in Liverpool are appalling – my thoughts are with all those injured or affected.
“I want to thank the police and emergency services for their swift and ongoing response to this shocking incident.
“I’m being kept updated on developments and ask that we give the police the space they need to investigate.”
While Liverpool FC said: “We are in direct contact with Merseyside Police regarding the incident on Water Street which happened towards the end of the trophy parade earlier this evening.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been affected by this serious incident.
“We will continue to offer our full support to the emergency services and local authorities who are dealing with this incident.”
