4 unanswered Paul Doyle Liverpool crash questions from motive to plea u-turn

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Today, Liverpool parade crash suspect Paul Doyle changed his plea to guilty in a shock U-turn, leaving many questions to be answered.

Appearing before Liverpool Crown Court for the second day of his trial, the 54-year-old could be seen sobbing in the dock as he quietly answered guilty to all 31 charges he faces. This comes just one day after Doyle, from West Derby, denied the lengthy list of charges, which include nine counts of causing GBH with intent, 17 of attempted GBH with intent and three of wounding with intent.

More than 130 pedestrians were injured when Doyle ploughed his car into crowds in Liverpool city centre on May 26 of this year, just as football fans were gathering to celebrate Liverpool FC's triumphant Premier League title. A number of those caught in the horror incident were injured, including two babies and six other children.

Here, the Mirror takes a look at the unanswered questions surrounding the case of Doyle, whose actions have "stunned" those who thought they knew the church-going family man with a "heart of gold".

Doyle is understood to be a married father of three teenage sons, who lives in a £300,000 four-bedroom detached home on a quiet cul-de-sac. A former Marine who now works in cybersecurity, Doyle is understood to be involved with his local church, as well as the Scouts, alongside his wife of 20 years. Neighbours regard the previously respectable, middle-class Doyles as a "nice" family, while emphasising how well-behaved their children are, arguing that "it just doesn't make sense."

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One resident previously told the Mirror: "It seems completely out of character. They are such a nice family, the boys are really nice and well-behaved. [He] is a fantastic guy. He came over to help us when our alarm went off once, and then did the same for our immediate neighbours, too. It doesn't feel right. They are lovely. The whole thing is so sad - for his wife and children and also for the people who were injured.” Meanwhile, it’s been reported that Doyle's wife of 20 years only learned what had happened after seeing the incident on the news.

Meanwhile, a source told The Sun : "She [the wife] first realised when she saw it was her car on the telly, when she saw it being driven at the parade. The normal police cars turned up at teatime, then the Matrix van turned up later that night." It's said that, when neighbours first saw the police van turn up outside the family home, they assumed the Doyles had been victims of a burglary.

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The horror began shortly after 6 pm on Liverpool's Water Street, when a silver Ford Galaxy Titanium mounted the pavement and hurtled through the crowd. Dozens of people were struck as the vehicle ploughed on for a distance of around 50 metres, leaving more than 130 people, between the ages of six months and 78, injured, some seriously. Doyle was then arrested at the scene

One friend told The Mail Online that Doyle, who is not a football supporter, had simply been dropping a friend off in Liverpool city centre as a favour when the terrible incident unfolded. They revealed: "I believe he was doing someone a favour and dropping his wife's friend and her daughter off for an appointment. He is a nice lad. He has a heart of gold."

Supporting this 'nice lad' narrative, another pal told the publication: "I just can't believe it. They are like part of the family, we have known them for years, their boys grew up with our children, I'm stunned, I really am. It's so out of character. Paul doesn't drink or smoke or anything like that. He is such a family man, really hardworking. They are such a gorgeous family."

At the time of writing, it's unclear what motivated Doyle to carry out these heinous crimes; however, the prosecution have claimed that this was a "calculated" act as opposed to a "momentary lapse". Shedding light on the case, Sarah Hammond, chief crown prosecutor for CPS Mersey-Cheshire, revealed that dash cam footage showed Doyle growing increasingly annoyed as he struggled to get through the crowds.

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Ms Hammond said today: "Today's convictions bring a measure of justice for an act that caused unimaginable harm during what should have been a day of celebration for the city of Liverpool. Paul Doyle has been held responsible for his deliberate actions that endangered lives and brought chaos upon a community. A total of 134 people were injured, including children as young as six months. This attack did not just harm individuals - it struck at the heart of a city united in joy, leaving fear in its wake.

"By entering guilty pleas, Doyle has finally accepted that he intentionally drove into crowds of innocent people during Liverpool FC’s victory parade. Dashcam footage from Doyle's vehicle shows that as he approached Dale Street and Water Street, he became increasingly agitated by the crowds. Rather than wait for them to pass, he deliberately drove at them, forcing his way through.

"Driving a vehicle into a crowd is an act of calculated violence. This was not a momentary lapse by Paul Doyle - it was a choice he made that day, and it turned celebration into mayhem. I would like to commend the bravery of emergency services who acted swiftly at the scene. There can be no doubt that their actions saved lives. Liverpool as a city has shown resilience and unity in the face of this awful act, and I hope the victims, their families and anyone affected will feel justice has been done.”

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Following a delay to proceedings this morning, it was announced that Doyle had changed his plea. Addressing jurors, Judge Menary said, "Thank you very much for your patience this morning. I know you've been waiting to come into court. Yesterday, responsibility for trying this defendant was handed over to you. For technical reasons which I anticipate will become apparent soon, I'm now going to discharge you from that responsibility. I'm formally discharging you as the jury in this case."

Exactly why he changed his plea remains unclear, however, a defendant who initially pleads not guilty to a charge is entitled to change their plea to guilty at any stage before the verdict is delivered. At the start of his trial yesterday (November 25), Doyle wept as the panel of more than 30 jurors entered the courtroom. His trial had been expected to last between three and four weeks.

Today, Doyle once again cried in the dock as he quietly answered guilty to all charges. He will likely now face sentencing on either December 15 or 16 and has been told to expect a lengthy sentence.