Paul Doyle has pleaded guilty to Liverpool bid charges

Paul Doyle has pleaded guilty to all 31 charges after he plowed his car into a dense crowd of fans at Liverpool’s victory parade.

The 54-year-old admitted dangerous driving, affray, 17 counts of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, nine counts of causing GBH with intent, and three counts of wounding with intent.

The Crown Prosecution Service said it was a “premeditated act of violence” when Doyle drove into the crowd on the evening of May 26, injuring more than 130 people.

The father-of-three, from Croxteth, Liverpool, sat with his head down and cried as he changed his pleas on the second day of his trial at Liverpool Crown Court.

Thousands of Liverpool fans were in the city on the day of the Doyle attack to watch the spectacle, which began at 14:30 GMT on 26 May.

The team bus had traveled along Strand Street, which runs through the end of Water Street, before the accident and the show was about to end, with fans heading home.

More than 130 people reported injuries after Doyle drove his Ford Galaxy Titanium into crowds on Water Street just after 18:00.

He was arrested at the scene and charged later that week.

A jury was sworn in for his trial on Tuesday but he changed his pleas earlier as the prosecution’s case was scheduled to open.

The charges relate to 29 people between the ages of six months and 77 years.

Doyle, a former Royal Marine, was in tears at a number of pre-trial hearings when he appeared via video link from prison.

His family members supported him in court when he appeared earlier.

Liverpool Recorder Andrew Menary KC told Doyle it was “inevitable” that he would face “some length of time” in prison.

The sentencing hearing was scheduled for two days on December 15 and 16 in the same court.

Sarah Hammond, chief prosecutor at the Crown Prosecution Service, said Doyle had finally accepted that he had deliberately rammed the car into crowds of innocent people.

“Dashcam footage from Doyle’s car shows that as he approached Dale Street and Water Street, he became increasingly agitated by the crowds,” she said.

“Instead of waiting for them to pass, he deliberately drove towards them, and forced his way through them.

“Driving a car into a crowd of people is an intentional act of violence.

“This was not a momentary lapse on Paul Doyle’s part, it was a choice he made that day that turned the celebration into chaos.”

In May, Merseyside Police said they believed Doyle followed an ambulance to Water Street after a roadblock was temporarily lifted for crews to attend to a person who had suffered a heart attack.

Det Ch Insp John Fitzgerald said that “by sheer coincidence no one was killed by Doyle’s reckless actions”.

“In just seven minutes, his dangerous driving resulted in his car crashing into more than 100 people, including children, in some cases trapping people underneath and causing serious injuries.

“What should have been a celebratory day for the city turned into a traumatic and frightening experience that we know continues to have a physical and psychological impact on many people.”