Man pleads guilty to Liverpool FC parade ramming incident

A British man has pleaded guilty to criminal charges over the incident in which a car was driven into a crowd of Liverpool soccer fans during the club's Premier League title victory parade in May.

Paul Doyle, 54, sobbed in the dock at Liverpool Crown Court as he changed his pleas to guilty, having pleaded not guilty in September.

He admitted to dangerous driving, affray, 17 charges of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent, nine counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, and three counts of wounding with intent at Liverpool Crown Court.

A jury was sworn in for his trial yesterday, but today, when the prosecution case was due to be opened, Doyle was asked to re-enter his pleas to the charges.

He changed his pleas, speaking with a broken voice as he occasionally wiped away tears as the charges were read to him again.

He had previously denied the offences, all relating to the incident on 26 May, which happened as crowds were gathered in the city to celebrate the football team's Premier League title win.

More than 130 people reported injuries after Doyle drove his Ford Galaxy Titanium into crowds on Water Street just after 6pm on that date.

He was arrested at the scene and charged later that week.

The charges relate to 29 victims aged between six months and 77 years old.

The youngest victim was Teddy Eveson, whose parents later told media he was thrown about 15ft down the road in his pram when the crash happened.

Doyle, of Croxteth, Liverpool, admitted attempting to cause grievous bodily harm to the baby.

Five other children, who Doyle was accused of injuring or attempting to injure, cannot be named for legal reasons.

The defendant, reportedly a former Royal Marine, was supported in court by family members.

Thousands of Liverpool fans were in the city on the day of Doyle's attack to watch the parade, which started at 2.30pm and travelled 15km before entering the city centre.

The team bus had travelled down The Strand, which passes the end of Water Street, before the incident and the parade was coming to a close, with supporters heading home.

In May, Merseyside Police said they believed the driver had followed an ambulance onto Water Street after a road block was temporarily lifted for crews to attend to a person having a heart attack.