A FORMER Marine used his car as a “weapon” to deliberately mow down crowds at the Liverpool parade, a court heard today.
Paul Doyle was held after almost 80 people including a nine-year-old girl were injured in the horror on Monday.
The accused, a 53-year-old individual, faces a total of seven charges involving six victims, such as dangerous driving and causing grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent.
Doyle, from the West Derby area of Liverpool, is also charged with wounding with intent to cause GBH and attempted GBH.
He appeared at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court where he spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and address during the hearing.
The dad-of-three, who wore a black suit, grey tie and white shirt, sat with his head bowed.
Philip Astbury, prosecuting, said Doyle had “driven deliberately” into the crowd of football fans and alleged he used his car as a “weapon”.
Doyle later appeared at the city’s crown court where he was remanded into custody ahead of a hearing on August 14.
No pleas were indicated but a provisional trial set to last three to four weeks was scheduled for November 24.
Merseyside Police have ruled out terrorism as a possible motive for the alleged attack.
Sarah Hammond, the Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS Mersey-Cheshire, stated that the investigation is in its early stages, with prosecutors and police swiftly working together to analyze a significant amount of evidence.
This encompasses various video recordings and many witness testimonies, highlighting the critical need to secure justice for each victim.
“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 as 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.
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.”
