Rushing into crowds at championship celebration: 21 years in prison for Liverpool gunman

Liverpool – “Their disregard for human life passes all understanding.” Judge Andrew Menary said these words to the defendant Paul Doyle (54) when he handed down his sentence.

Doyle is the man in charge of the… Liverpool FC’s championship parade drove his car into the crowd was. Now the gunman has been convicted in England.

The verdict: 21 years and six months in prison. “Your actions have caused horror and destruction on a scale never before encountered by the court,” said Judge Menary, explaining the verdict.

134 injured in the shooting spree

On May 26, Doyle drove his car into a celebrating crowd. 134 people were injured, including several children. Doyle was arrested at the scene. The police had already ruled out a terrorist motive at the beginning of the investigation.

After Doyle initially rejected the allegations in court, the father of two sons tearfully apologizedn pleaded guilty to all 31 charges.

“Used the vehicle as a weapon”

Doyle faced Liverpool court on charges of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, breach of the peace and dangerous driving (England).

Prosecutor Paul Greaney told him at the start of Monday’s sentencing session that Doyle had “lost his temper” because he was desperate to get to his goal. He then “used his vehicle as a weapon” and injured numerous people within a few minutes.

The players of the Liverpool FC After winning their 20th title in the English Premier League, they drove through the city in an open bus and were celebrated by hundreds of thousands of fans.

Many streets in the city center were closed because of the parade. However, Doyle took advantage of an ambulance to drive through the barriers after him.

Footage from the car shows the rampage

The public prosecutor’s office classified the case as an extreme case of aggressive behavior in traffic: According to prosecutor Sarah Hammond, footage from Doyle’s dashboard camera shows that he “became increasingly agitated by the crowds.”

Instead of waiting for the road to clear, he “deliberately drove towards the crowd and forced his way,” she said.