Man Pleads Guilty to 31 Charges After Plowing Car Through Soccer Parade in Liverpool

The man who plowed his car into a crowd of soccer fans celebrating at the Liverpool FC victory parade in England on May 26 has pleaded guilty on all 31 charges against him. The incident injured more than 130 people.

Paul Doyle admitted to dangerous driving, affray, 17 charges of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, nine counts of causing GBH with intent, and three counts of wounding with intent, the BBC reports.

Thousands of residents had gathered in the city’s streets for the parade celebrating Liverpool FC, the city’s renowned soccer team, who defeated Tottenham Hotspur for the Premier League title in April. 

The incident took place as the parade was coming to a close and fans were beginning to make their way home when Doyle drove his Ford Galaxy Titanium into the crowd. More than 130 people reported they were injured. The charges were connected to 29 people, ranging in age from six month to 77 years old.

On Tuesday, a jury was sworn in for Doyle’s trial, but he changed his pleas before prosecutors were to open the case.

“Dashcam footage from Doyle’s vehicle shows that as he approached Dale Street and Water Street, he became increasingly agitated by the crowds,” Chief Crown Prosecutor for the Crime Prosecution Service Sarah Hammond said in a press conference, via the BBC. “Rather than wait for them to pass, he deliberately drove at them, forcing his way through.”

 “Driving a vehicle into a crowd is an act of calculated violence. This was not a momentary lapse by Paul Doyle. It was a choice he made that day and it turned celebration into mayhem,” she continued. She added, “I hope the victims, their families, and anyone affected will feel that justice has been done.”

A two-day sentencing hearing has been set for Dec. 15 and 16.