LIVERPOOL PARADE ATTACK: 21-YEAR SENTENCE FOR PAUL DOYLE WHO HIT 134 FANS
Paul Doyle, 54, was sentenced to 21 years and six months for driving into a crowd of 134 Liverpool FC fans following the Premier League title parade. Read the judge's statement.
Paul Doyle, 54, has been sentenced to 21 years and six months in jail for driving into a crowd of Liverpool FC fans after their victory parade earlier this year. The incident, which occurred on May 26, injured 134 people.
Doyle was on his way to pick up friends in the city center when he lost his temper. He drove his Ford Galaxy into supporters walking home from the Premier League title celebrations.
The court viewed dashcam footage showing Doyle's car speeding down Water Street, which was closed to traffic. Fans were thrown onto the hood or fell under the vehicle as he accelerated at about 6 p.m.
In the video, Doyle could be heard swearing and yelling at supporters to move. He initially denied the 31 offenses he was charged with, but he changed his plea to guilty on everything just before his trial was set to begin last month.
Doyle, a former Royal Marine, admitted to dangerous driving, affray, 17 counts of attempted grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, nine counts of causing GBH with intent, and three counts of wounding with intent.
The victims included six-month-old Teddy Eveson, whose stroller was thrown into the air, and 77-year-old Susan Passey.
Judge Andrew Menary KC said Doyle acted with inexplicable and undiluted fury when he drove into the crowd.
"It is almost impossible to understand how any right-thinking person could act as you did," the judge stated. Driving a vehicle into crowds of pedestrians with such persistence and disregard for human life is beyond comprehension.
The judge said Doyle's actions caused horror and devastation on a scale never seen before in his court.
Doyle was driving into the city from his home in Croxteth, Liverpool. On the way, he passed other cars and ran a red light.
Footage showed him driving down Dale Street, not slowing down even though Liverpool fans filled the street.
His dashcam recorded him saying offensive words as people pulled their children out of the way to keep him from hitting them.
When he got to a line of cars turning right, away from the closed Water Street, he paused before turning into the crowd in the left lane.
People were seen on the hood of his car and falling underneath as Doyle accelerated.
Fan Dan Barr stopped the car by climbing into the back seat and holding the gearshift in park.
Doyle, who has past convictions for violence in the 1990s, kept trying to speed up, but the car couldn't move because people were trapped underneath.
When questioned, he claimed he saw someone with a knife and drove in panic, fearing an attack. However, police found no evidence of anyone with a knife in the area.
The car had no mechanical problems, and Doyle was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
James Allison of the Crown Prosecution Service said Doyle simply lost his temper and went into a rage.
Detective Chief Inspector John Fitzgerald said Doyle's total disregard for the safety of others was incomprehensible, adding that it was sheer luck that no one died.
THOMAS TUCHEL NAMES EXPANDED ENGLAND SQUAD FEATURING FOUR SURPRISE NEW INCLUSIONS
Thomas Tuchel hands maiden England call-ups to James Garner and Jason Steele while omitting Trent Alexander-Arnold.
James Garner from Everton and Brighton’s goalkeeper Jason Steele have earned their first call-ups to the England squad. Alongside them, AC Milan’s defender Fikayo Tomori and Tottenham’s forward Dominic Solanke have also been included. However, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Luke Shaw did not make the cut this time.
Jude Bellingham, despite being sidelined since early February due to a hamstring injury, is still part of the squad. Experienced centre-back Harry Maguire, now 33, has the chance to add to his 64 caps, while 20-year-old Kobbie Mainoo, who started in the Euro 2024 final, is also selected. Both last represented England in September 2024 but have been rewarded for Manchester United’s recent good form, which has lifted them to third place in the Premier League.
Luke Shaw, pushing for inclusion, has been overlooked once again. Instead, Tuchel has called up Newcastle’s Lewis Hall, marking his first call-up since Tuchel took over.
This squad is larger than usual, with players arriving in two phases during the international window. Tuchel explained on the Football Association’s website that the first group includes players who haven’t played much recently, aiming to broaden competition for spots in the upcoming US tour. Then, from Friday to Saturday, another group will join, including some who’ve had a short rest, to mix things up for the match against Japan.
England will face Uruguay at Wembley on March 27, followed by a home game against Japan on March 31. Looking ahead, the World Cup kicks off on June 11 in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, with England considered among the contenders.
Here’s the full squad breakdown:
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), James Trafford (Manchester City), Aaron Ramsdale (Newcastle), Jason Steele (Brighton)
Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Lewis Hall (Newcastle), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Tino Livramento (Newcastle), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Djed Spence (Tottenham), John Stones (Manchester City), Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan)
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), James Garner (Everton), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)
Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Dominic Solanke (Tottenham)
WHY CAF STRIPPED SENEGAL OF THEIR AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS TITLE
Following a final walk-off, Senegal has lost its AFCON trophy in the boardroom, prompting an appeal to CAS by the FSF.
Moussa Niakhate finally spoke out after the Confederation of African Football’s shocking decision to take Senegal’s Africa Cup of Nations trophy away. After that wild walk-off in the final against Morocco, CAF backed an appeal and handed the host nation a 3-0 win by default. Senegalese players were furious; who wouldn’t be?
The boardroom decision completely flipped African football on its head. Two months after the final, the CAF Appeal Board tossed out Senegal’s victory and gave Morocco the win. It all started deep into stoppage time when VAR gave Morocco a penalty. Pape Thiaw, Senegal’s manager, lost it and told his players to leave the field. Eventually, they came back and finished the match. Still, officials said the walk-off broke tournament rules, so they took the title away. Brutal.
Niakhate, the 30-year-old defender who was key in Senegal’s backline, got asked about it before Lyon’s Europa League match with Celta. He’d already posted a photo with his medal and the trophy right after the ruling. He made it clear: nothing a boardroom says can erase what happened on the pitch. He said, “Out of respect for the club and with the crucial match in mind, I don’t want to go into too much detail. You saw my reaction on social media; it’s the same today. What I can say is that nothing has changed for me compared to what we went through in January. I’ll have time to talk about it again in due course; for now, I’m going to stay focused on Lyon.”
That final in Rabat was pure chaos, even before Senegal won 1-0 on the field. Most players followed Thiaw down the tunnel, but Sadio Mane stayed, urging his teammates to come back. Brahim Diaz took the penalty but tried a Panenka, and Edouard Mendy caught it easily. The game went to extra time, Papa Gueye scored, and Senegal thought they were champions again. It didn't matter; the walk-off cost them everything. The committee called it a 3-0 forfeit.
It’s harsh for a team that believed they’d gone back-to-back. Niakhate, who started six out of seven games, is now focusing on Lyon’s European campaign. Still, that boardroom drama isn’t going away, not with the international break coming up. Senegal’s already planning to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
