Ex-Royal Marine Pleads Guilty in Crash That Injured 130 Fans Celebrating Liverpool’s Premier League Championship

Paul Doyle, the man accused of injuring at least 130 people during Liverpool’s Premier League championship parade, has admitted his guilt in court.

Doyle, 54, a father of two and former Royal Marine, changed his plea to guilty on Wednesday afternoon, according to the BBC, ESPN and The Guardian. He had previously pleaded not guilty before becoming emotional and reversing his plea on the second day of his trial at Liverpool Crown Court.

He admitted to dangerous driving, affray, 17 counts of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent, nine counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and three counts of wounding with intent.

The incident occurred on May 26, during Liverpool F.C.’s celebrations for their second Premier League title, when thousands of supporters packed the city streets. The Guardian reported that Doyle attempted to follow an ambulance down a road closed for the parade. When blocked by the crowds, he allegedly became enraged and drove into groups of fans. Some people then tried to pull him from the vehicle before police intervened.

Doyle’s victims spanned generations, including children as young as six months old, the BBC reported. The oldest reported victim was 77.

“Dashcam footage from Doyle’s vehicle shows that as he approached Dale Street and Water Street, he became increasingly agitated by the crowds,” chief crown prosecutor Sarah Hammond told the court, according to the BBC. “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.”

Detective Chief Inspector John Fitzgerald told the court it was only “by sheer luck that nobody was killed because of Doyle’s reckless actions.”

“In just seven minutes his dangerous driving meant that his car collided with more than 100 people, including children, in some cases trapping people underneath and causing serious injuries,” Fitzgerald said. “What should have been a day of celebration for the city turned into a distressing and frightening experience which we know continues to have a physical and psychological impact on many people.”

Doyle had originally denied all charges before entering his guilty plea on Wednesday, the BBC reported.

He is due to return to court for sentencing on Dec. 15 and 16, according to The Guardian. Judge Andrew Menary KC told him that “it would be inevitable that there will be a custodial sentence of some length.”