LIVE: Paul Doyle to be sentenced over Liverpool FC title parade attack

A father and cancer survivor has told how the trauma resulting from the Liverpool parade attack was worse than when he was received treatment.

David Price, 44, said he nearly died on two occasions while undergoing treatment for Stage 3 testicular cancer and was invited to the title parade to celebrate overcoming his battle.

In his statement, he told the court:

This weekend was meant to be joyful, a symbol of recovery and hope after surviving one of the darkest periods of my life. This trauma has taken me to a darker place than even my cancer battle did.

He recalled seeing Doyle’s car coming towards him and thinking ‘This is it.’

I feared my children were about to lose their father, my wife would lose her husband, and my mother would lose her son. The horror of that moment is something I will never forget.

A young couple told the court they have put their wedding plans ‘on hold’ after they were forced to ‘rebuild everything from scratch’ following the parade attack.

Sam Alexander, 31, who was there with fiancee Hannah O’Neill, 30, said he thought she had been killed.

He told the court:

I felt helpless and unable to look after her. I was somebody else before it happened, and now I am completely different. It just isn’t possible for either of us to return to how we were.

Hannah said she suffers  ‘severe anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder… the emotional toll is relentless, I feel scared, lonely and overwhelmed’.

Their wedding plans are now ‘on hold’.

She told the court:

We’ve had to rebuild everything from scratch and the thought of planning what should be the happiest day of my life feels impossibly far away.

Addressing Doyle she said:

You left me feeling degraded. For 14 days I was unable to wash. I’ve gone from a woman thriving in her life and career to someone who pushes food around a plate, questioning whether there’s any point in eating at all?

Families say the parade attack has ‘destroyed’ memories as parents and children were both left with severe trauma following the ramming.

A 48-year-old man, whose 14-year-old son was also struck by Doyle’s car, described how he his leg was left in ‘extreme pain’ .

He told the court in his victim impact statement:

Future memories for both my son and I, with family and friends have been destroyed as I am now reluctant to attend events because of this incident which has caused me significant distress and trauma.

My son was physically injured when members of the crowd fell on top of him, resulting in him having severe muscular pains throughout his body. His wellbeing has also struggled since this incident, he often has nightmares and has been suffering with anxiety which is heightened when he is in large crowds, causing him fear and distress when he is having to socialise in large groups in school.

Meanwhile, a 37-year-old stepfather of a boy who survived the attack said they had both been ‘left scarred with a bad experience after coming to celebrate such a special occasion for our team’.

He added:

As for him, this was his first time visiting Liverpool and unfortunately due to the trauma he said he doesn’t want to go back.

Some survivors have told how they were unable to return to their jobs in the aftermath of the parade attack in May.

Michael Blair, 30, said he was unable to return to running his electrical and renovation company, meaning he has had to borrow money.

He said:

Since the incident I have found myself to be anxious in groups of people, even if only relatively small. This included my own 30th birthday party, I took myself off upstairs away from everyone.

Charlie Holmes, 26, said he struggled to return to teaching.

He said:

Mentally, the incident has taken a massive toll on me. I am feeling tired and drained constantly since due to the lack of sleep that I am getting and how mentally drained I feel at the end of a workday.

Victims of the Liverpool parade attack have told Paul Doyle ‘don’t sit in the dock and cry for yourself’ on the second and final day of his sentencing.

Susan Farrell, speaking on behalf of herself and her husband, Colin, said they had missed funerals because of fear of travelling following the incident in May.

In a powerful statement, Mrs Farrell said her teacher daughter who was with them ‘still experiences the fear we felt that day, believing we were under attack, that you would emerge with a weapon’.

‘I remember one man lying motionless, and my daughter screaming, asking if he was dead. I feel guilt that I didn’t stop to help. Colin feels guilt that he didn’t confront you. We were just trying to protect our children.

‘There are hundreds of people affected by your actions. I want you to think about them all. Don’t sit in the dock and cry for yourself.

‘Think about my youngest daughter who had to stand in front of her class and talk about her trip to Liverpool after you drove a car at her. She was brave. She is brave. Now you be brave and take accountability for what you did.

A mother has told the court how she feels unable to return to Liverpool city centre following the parade attack.

In her victim impact statement, Paula Woodruff, 49, said:

The thought of ever being able to cope with attending another celebration event of football crowd is unbearable now. I don’t know when I’ll be able to overcome this and return to our city.

‘Now all I feel is guilt. Guilt over my son being present that day. Guilt over his memories being taken and overshadowed by what happened next… Guilt that my son could be dead, all because I took him to see his heroes.

Julie Pugh, 61, said: ‘My initial reaction to the incident was fear and panic as I fell, and people fell and stood on top of me.

‘I was in total shock at what I could see around me.

‘A baby lying on the ground close to me, a child sitting on the kerb with his head bleeding and a man lying in the road clearly very injured.’

The judge has now entered court and proceedings are underway.

We can expect to hear more victim impact statements this morning before we hear Doyle’s mitigation with sentencing expected to be handed down this afternoon.

Survivors of the Liverpool victory parade attack last May have assembled in court for the second day of Paul Doyle’s sentencing.

Scores more victims are gathered in a second overspill courtroom ready to watch proceedings over a live video stream.

Once the judge, Andrew Menary KC, The Honorary Recorder of Liverpool, has taken his seat, the court is expected to hear more extracts from moving statements given by victims on the devastating impact of Doyle’s rampage.
Later Paul Greaney KC has said he will go through Doyle’s previous convictions before his barrister, Simon Csoka KC, makes submissions in mitigation.

Mr Csoka has previously said that character evidence would be presented, after which the judge will tell Doyle how long he must serve behind bars.

Judge Menary has already told Doyle a ‘custodial sentence of some length’ was ‘plainly inevitable’.

One Liverpool fan told the court how the parade attack had affected him watching Liverpool.

Alan Spain, 26, said he had been watching Liverpool play since he was six.

But matches are now ‘tainted’ because seeing fans clad in red makes him feel like he’s back at the scene of the attack.

‘Every time Liverpool score and I see the fans in the Kop jump and cheer and celebrate, I end up on Water Street,’ he said.

‘Because that’s what the crowd were doing.

‘Everyone was cheering and celebrating, and everyone was in a joyous mood. Everyone was there to have fun.

‘And that was ruined.’

Paul Doyle wept in the dock yesterday as footage of the horrific rampage was shown to Liverpool Crown Court.

Dashcam video was displayed to the court on the first day of his sentencing hearing, with the defendant heard shouting ‘move’, ‘f***ing p****s’ and ‘get out the f****** way’.

Pedestrians pulled their children out of the path of Doyle’s car to stop them being hit, and the footage showed the windscreen smash after a man landed on it.

Doyle cried as the footage was shown to the court, putting his head down and shutting his eyes as the footage showed his car hitting crowds of supporters.

His sentencing hearing was told the 54-year-old, described as a ‘family man’ by prosecutors, was ‘in a rage’ and his ‘anger had completely taken hold of him’.

Prosecutor Philip Astbury yesterday read out extracts from some of the victims’ personal statements.

• Jack Trotter

Then 23, Mr Trotter said he needed help to shower and dress due to his injuries, making him reliant on his fiancée.

‘Learning to walk again has been a long and often painful process.’

He was ‘unable to do all the normal things a father and son should be able to’ with his three-year-old boy, ‘like throwing him in the air, playing football.’

• Scott Dolan

The 36-year-old said he suffers ‘flashbacks’ and is reluctant to travel to Liverpool city centre.

He was off work for two months and his girlfriend had to help him dress and wash.

‘I feel like I’ve lost months of my life not being able to do things I love to do, going to the football, playing table tennis, going for walks and going out socially with friends and family.’

• Jessica Fawcett

The 21-year-old said she still has ‘trouble walking’ and was forced to quit her nursery job as a result.

‘I no longer feel safe near cars or roads,’ she added.

‘I have become isolated, and I feel consistently down and fed up.’

‘I have just ruined my family’s life.’

Those were the words of Paul Doyle moments after he got into his car and mowed down dozens of celebrating Liverpool fans.

The city’s crown court on Monday heard how the ‘family man’ ex-Marine had reacted in the minutes after the crash – as innocent people lay injured on the road.

The court also heard from survivors who told of the horror that day – and how it’s impacted them since.

Among the harrowing accounts was that of a 12-year-old boy who was at the parade with his mother watching idols including Mohamed Salah showing off the Premier League trophy.

Read James Tozer’s report on the first day of Paul Doyle’s sentencing: