A man has pleaded not guilty to 31 charges, including dangerous driving and causing grievous bodily harm with intent, after a car was allegedly driven into a crowd of people in Liverpool.
Paul Doyle, 53, was arrested on 29 May after allegedly driving through a crowd of Liverpool football club supporters during the team’s Premier League trophy parade in the city centre on the evening of 26 May.
Doyle was charged with seven offences at the time of his arrest, but was charged with an additional 24 in August after appearing in Liverpool crown court via a video link.
He stands accused of one count of affray, one count of dangerous driving, nine counts of causing grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, two counts of wounding with intent, and 18 charges of attempting to cause GBH with intent, with the media now able to name seven-month-old Teddy Eveson as a complainant in the last of the charges.
Doyle, a former Royal Marine and a father of three from the West Derby area of Liverpool, appeared again via video link from HMP Belmarsh, wearing a grey T-shirt and glasses. He spoke only to confirm his name and enter his pleas, shaking his head several times as the 31 charges were read out.
The incident is reported to have occurred after Doyle allegedly followed an ambulance down a road off-limits to cars during the parade. His grey Ford Galaxy allegedly collided with a large number of fans before coming to a stop. Police pushed back people trying to remove him from the car, before arresting him.
The incident left 134 people with injuries and more than 50 requiring hospitalisation, four of whom were children.
In the immediate aftermath of the incident, police released details of Doyle’s ethnicity, a decision that some said could lead to difficulties for forces in the future.
A pre-trial hearing has been set for 27 October, with a provisional trial date set for 25 November, having previously been scheduled for the day before. The trial is expected to last between three and four weeks.
