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2025 Liverpool parade incident
Traffic collision in Liverpool, England From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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On 26 May 2025, a motorist, Paul Doyle, drove a grey Ford Galaxy into a crowd on Water Street in Liverpool, England, during a victory parade celebrating Liverpool Football Club's 2024–25 Premier League title win. Over 130 people were injured; at least fifty were taken to hospital, including four children.
Merseyside Police arrested Doyle at the scene and issued seven charges: one count of dangerous driving; two counts of unlawful and malicious wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm; two counts of causing unlawful and malicious grievous bodily harm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm; and two counts of attempted unlawful and malicious grievous bodily harm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. He appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on 30 May and was remanded in custody. On 26 November 2025, at the start of his trial, Doyle pleaded guilty to 31 offences.
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Background
Prior to the incident, locals and supporters of Liverpool F.C. were watching the team's city-wide victory parade to celebrate their victory in the 2024–25 Premier League. An estimated one million people were in attendance.[1] The open-top bus carrying the football club's team and staff members took a 10-mile (16 km) route starting at Allerton Maze and ending at The Strand in the city centre.[2] St John Ambulance were providing event cover for the parade, including 12 emergency ambulances.[3][4] The incident took place 10 minutes after the bus had passed through the area.[5]
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Incident
Shortly after 6 pm BST on 26 May 2025 a motorist was seen arguing with pedestrians before he accelerated his car and drove into a large group of them on Water Street in Liverpool during the parade.[5][6] According to a witness, the vehicle then stopped and people began smashing its windows, but the driver accelerated again and collided with more people.[7]
By 7 pm a North West Air Ambulance had landed at the scene,[5] and tents were set up nearby.[8] By 9:30 pm North West Ambulance Service said it had cleared the scene.[9] Police eventually identified 79 injured people ranging in age from 9 to 78;[10] at least 50 had been taken to hospital. Three adults and one child had been removed from beneath the vehicle.[5] Police later confirmed an additional thirty injured people, bringing the total to 109.[11] The total number injured was later reported at over 130 people.[12]
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Investigation
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Merseyside Police said they had detained a 53-year-old white British man who was from West Derby and that counter-terrorism police were supporting their investigation.[13][14] He was arrested at the scene, and is believed by police to be the driver of the vehicle. The vehicle involved in the incident was reported to be a grey Ford Galaxy.[15] Police said they were treating the incident as isolated and not related to terrorism.[5]
Reuters said that police were "unusually quick to give a description of the man they arrested" to head off speculation of a religious motive after riots took place following misinformation spread about the 2024 Southport stabbings.[16] According to Jonathan Hall KC, the UK Government's Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, the decision should set a precedent for transparency in almost all future incidents.[17]
Merseyside Police said in a press conference at 3:30 pm on 27 May that the man detained had been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, dangerous driving and driving while unfit through drugs. It is believed the driver was able to access Water Street by following an ambulance that was responding to a suspected heart attack for which the road block was temporarily lifted.[5]
Water Street was reopened on the morning of 28 May.[18] The same day police reported they had been given more time to question the suspect.[19]
Police reviewing CCTV identified the car being driven along Dale Street, which leads into Water Street and was also densely packed with crowds at the time, shortly before the incident on Water Street.[18]
Accused
On 29 May, the 53-year-old suspect, Paul Doyle, was named by police and was charged with seven offences: one count of dangerous driving; two counts of unlawful and malicious wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm; two counts of causing unlawful and malicious grievous bodily harm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm; and two counts of attempted unlawful and malicious grievous bodily harm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. He appeared at Liverpool Magistrates' Court on 30 May, but was not asked to enter a plea. He then appeared at Liverpool Crown Court in the afternoon of that day for a hearing before the Recorder of Liverpool, Judge Andrew Menary KC.[20][21] He was remanded in custody.[22]
On 14 August, the accused appeared at Liverpool Crown Court via video-link from custody, where prosecutors filed 24 additional charges. These included 23 counts relating to injuries sustained by victims—among them two infants, for whom the charges included attempted grievous bodily harm with intent—and one count of affray. Defence counsel requested additional time to review the expanded indictment, and no pleas were entered during the hearing.[23] On 4 September, he pleaded not guilty to all charges. He was remanded in custody until the next court hearing on 27 October.[24]
A trial began on 25 November. On 26 November, Doyle changed his plea to guilty on all 31 charges.[25]
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Reactions
King Charles III said that the "strength of community spirit for which Liverpool is renowned will be a comfort and support to those in need";[26] the prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, visited the city to speak with local police chiefs on the afternoon of 28 May.[14] Staff at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital cancelled planned strike action in response;[9] Anne, Princess Royal, visited the injured there on 27 May.[27]
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Subsequent events
The final person to leave hospital following treatment was discharged on 30 June; having spent 35 days in hospital.[28]
References
External links
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