On the second day of his trial, Paul Doyle has confessed to causing serious injuries to several individuals when he drove into a crowd of football fans celebrating Liverpool‘s victory parade on May 26.
The 54-year-old pleaded guilty to charges of dangerous driving, affray, 17 counts of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, nine counts of causing GBH with intent, and three counts of wounding with intent at Liverpool Crown Court on Wednesday.
A jury was designated for the trial on Tuesday, but on the following day, as the prosecution was about to present its case, Doyle was asked to reaffirm his pleas.
With his head bowed and visibly distressed, he wept as he altered his pleas, speaking in a shaky voice while occasionally dabbing tears from his face as the charges were reiterated.
Previously, he had denied all charges related to the incident during the football team’s Premier League title celebration.
More than 130 individuals reported injuries after Doyle drove his Ford Galaxy Titanium into a crowd on Water Street shortly after 6 p.m.
Doyle was apprehended at the scene and was charged later that week.
The charges involve 29 victims, ranging in age from 6 months to 77 years old.
The youngest alleged victim, Teddy Eveson, was reportedly thrown approximately 15 feet from his pram during the crash, according to his parents.
Doyle, from Croxteth, Liverpool, acknowledged attempting to cause grievous bodily harm to the infant.
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Legal restrictions prevent the identification of five other children whom Doyle is accused of injuring or attempting to injure.
Reportedly a former Royal Marine, Doyle was emotional during several pretrial hearings, appearing via video link from prison.
He was supported by family members during the court proceedings.
On the day of Doyle’s attack, thousands of Liverpool fans gathered in the city to attend the parade, which began at 2:30 p.m. and covered a distance of 15 kilometers before reaching the city center.
The team bus had traveled along The Strand, passing by the end of Water Street, shortly before the incident as the parade was winding down and supporters were preparing to head home.
In May, authorities from Merseyside Police indicated that they believed the driver had followed an ambulance onto Water Street after a roadblock was temporarily lifted for emergency crews attending to a victim of a heart attack.