The 54-year-old denies 17 counts of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm, nine of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and three of wounding with intent
Paul Doyle has denied four charges ahead of the Liverpool FC parade trial. The 54-year-old, of Burghill Road in West Derby, faces a series of alleged offences after a car was driven into crowds of fans during Liverpool FC’s Premier League title celebrations in Liverpool city centre.
More than 100 pedestrians, ranging from children to a 78-year-old woman, were injured after being struck by a Ford Galaxy on Water Street shortly after 6pm on May 26 this year, with 50 people requiring hospital treatment. They were later discharged from hospital.
With Doyle’s trial scheduled to begin at Liverpool Crown Court this morning, Tuesday, Paul Greaney KC, prosecuting, asked for the indictment to be amended in relation to four of the counts he faces.
In count six, the charge of causing an 11-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, grievous bodily harm with intent was amended to an allegation of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent.
Count 21, which accused Doyle of causing a 12-year-old boy grievous harm with intent, was meanwhile altered to an offence of wounding with intent.
And counts 24 and 25, which had been matters of attempting to cause Hannah O’Neill and Stefan Dettlaf grievous bodily harm with intent, are now charged as causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
Appearing in the dock wearing a black suit over a white shirt and grey tie and sporting glasses, with his greying hair slicked back, Doyle was arraigned on these four amended charges.
He then wiped away tears as he pleaded not guilty, with the court now beginning the process of selecting and swearing a jury ahead of a trial which is expected to last for three to four weeks.
The total of 31 counts he now faces include 17 charges of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent.
The complainants in these matters have been named as six-month-old Teddy Eveson, other boys and girls aged seven months, 10, 11, 13, as well as adults Jack Trotter, Jon Evans, Scott Dolan, Ashton Gilmore, Jacqueline McClaren, Jamie Fagan, Carl Martin, James Vernon, Emily Wright, David Price, James Weston and Ethan Gillard.
A further nine charges allege that he caused grievous bodily harm with intent to Helen Gilmore, Anna Bilonozhenko, Sheree Aldridge, Sam Alexander, Hannah O’Neill, Stefan Dettlaf, Christine Seeckts, Susan Passey and Aaron Cothliff.
He finally faces three alleged offences of wounding with intent against a 12-year-old boy, Simon Nash and Robin Darke, as well as matters of affray and dangerous driving, having previously pleaded not guilty to the other charges during a plea and trial preparation hearing before the same court in September.
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