A father-of-three described by neighbours as a 'genuinely lovely' man has been sentenced to 21 years and six months in prison for a horrific seven-minute driving rampage through a Liverpool FC victory parade crowd.
Paul Doyle, 54, admitted to a catalogue of charges including dangerous driving, affray, and multiple counts of grievous bodily harm and wounding with intent. His actions on 26 May 2025 left 134 people injured, including two babies and six children.
A Shocking Rampage and a Community's Disbelief
During the sentencing at Liverpool Crown Court, horrifying dashcam footage was played showing Doyle's vehicle ploughing into celebrating fans. The court heard him shouting obscenities like "move" and "get out the f****** way" as pedestrians desperately pulled children from his path. The windscreen of his car was smashed after a man landed on it.
The youngest victim was six-month-old Teddy Eveson, whose mother feared he had died after seeing his pram thrown further up the road. A police sergeant described the "sickening" noise of bodies being thrown into the air.
To those in his West Derby community, the attack was incomprehensible. Doyle lived in a £300,000 detached home with his wife of 20 years and their three teenage sons. Neighbours knew him as a tee-total, church-going 'Mr Healthy Dude' who meditated, fundraised for charity, and was always willing to help others.
The Dark Past Behind the 'Family Man' Facade
Beneath this respectable exterior lay a violent history that had been carefully obscured. The court heard that Doyle had ten previous convictions, including three for serious assault between the ages of 18 and 22.
Most notably, in November 1994, he was jailed for 12 months after biting off a man's ear during a drunken fight with sailors. This occurred shortly after his discharge from the Royal Marines.
Prosecutor Paul Greaney KC revealed that Doyle's military service, which he had exaggerated on his LinkedIn profile, was short and inglorious. He passed out from commando training in 1991 but was discharged in January 1993, less than two years later, after a 'scuffle' during training and a conviction for violence to a superior officer. He never saw active service.
From IT Career to Cryptocurrency Fascination
Following his release from prison in 1995, Doyle sought to rehabilitate himself. He earned a degree in psychology and maths from the University of Liverpool and built a career in IT, eventually becoming a cyber security manager.
He also became a 'certified ethical hacker' and listed himself as a volunteer for a group called 'Honest Hackers'. Alongside this, he pursued various business ventures, including a failed sports goods company and FarOut Caps, a solo venture selling designer headwear.
Online, Doyle's interests pointed to a different preoccupation. His social media activity showed a deep fascination with cryptocurrency, particularly the SafeMoon scheme, which later collapsed amid fraud charges in the US. He also followed controversial figures like Nigel Farage, Elon Musk, and Andrew Tate.
Sentencing Doyle, Judge Menary condemned his "impatience and arrogance" and said the defendant's attempts to blame football fans were "unfair and unfounded". The judge described the footage as "truly shocking," detailing how Doyle deliberately accelerated into groups, drove over limbs, and crushed prams.
The court heard that Doyle's wife only learned of his actions by seeing their car on the news. For a man who had worked to present an image of a reformed, healthy, and community-minded father, the brutal attack on the streets of Liverpool has left a trail of devastation and a lifetime of questions.
