“They say life moves on, but how can it when you’ve been through hell?”
Letting off a deep sigh, Dan Eveson dwells on the horrific sequence of events of the Liverpool victory parade that left him with life-changing injuries and a daily reminder of the terror he experienced that day. The cries, screams and agony as Paul Doyle rammed his car through innocent crowds are never sounded out, he says.
The anger burns strongly inside him, still.
So violent was the tragedy on 26 May 2025 that prosecutors opted to show just 140 seconds of the CCTV footage inside the hushed courtroom – but that was enough.
For the survivors, the harrowing ordeal lives on 12 months later; in nightmares, flashbacks and physical injuries.
Mr Eveson, 37, an ex-soldier with the Royal Military Police, but it is last year’s tragedy in Liverpool that impacts him most, having lost his factory job because of the severe back injuries he now lives with as a result of the car ramming.
The horror of watching his baby son Teddy flung 15ft down the road still interrupts his sleep.
“When the court case finished [in December], it was like ‘that’s it, we’re sorry for what happened, now go get on with your lives’ – but how can you?” he says. “How can you when you’ve got no job, you’re stuck at home in pain, you’re struggling in your relationship and you can’t forget?”
open image in galleryMr Eveson, along with his partner Sheree Aldridge – whose had more than 70 medical appointments for nerve damage to her limb and a spinal injury after she was hit by Doyle’s 1.9-tonne Ford Galaxy – were among the dozens of victims who wanted to be heard during his sentencing.
They included 73-year-old Stefan Dettlaff, who after breaking six ribs said he would often break down and cry over what had happened, such was the mental toll on him. Amanda Gardener, 52, described her feelings of “guilt” after bringing her sister who was sent “flying into the air”.
Anna Bilonozhenko, a Ukrainian woman who escaped the war with Russia in 2024, said: “We came to this country because of the war in our homeland, hoping to finally feel safe. At first, we did. But now that feeling has been taken away.” And cancer survivor David Price, who feared for his children and wife’s lives, said: “The trauma has taken me to a darker place than ever my cancer battle did.”
Others have lost out on special family moments, and money through being unable to work, even 12 months on.
“The past year has been hell,” says electrician Mike Blair, who bravely rescued people trapped underneath Doyle’s car after it eventually came to a stop. Injuries to his hands, arms and back meant his business shut down as he recovered in hospital and at home.
open image in galleryBut failure to complete scheduled jobs cost him £70,000, and today the 31-year-old’s still behind on work.
“I had to borrow money off family and friends to cover costs,” he says. “It stripped away my independence and battered my confidence. Even now, as we try to rebuild again, I’m still struggling to breath as a result of the injuries.
“Yet we’ve had very little help, it’s been an eye-opener…. it’s a tough world and when something like this happens you are on your own.”
Teenager Aaron Cothliff was left bed-bound and unable to shower or dress without his mother’s help due to leg injuries from the crash.
“My family missed out on our first holiday abroad,” he says. “I had to sell concert tickets and missed several friend’s birthday events that I had been looking forward to. I had to cancel my driving test.”
The 18-year-old returned to work as a prep chef two months after the crash, but on reduced hours. “It changed my life,” he says.
One of the heroes of the tragedy was former armed serviceman Dan Barr, 41, who brought the rampaging vehicle to a halt by climbing into the back seat and forcing the gear stick into park. In February, he received the High Sheriff’s Award, and £250, for his actions.
open image in galleryReflecting on the day from a yard where he is rebuilding a van, Mr Barr says the events largely remain a blur. He suffered head injuries he suspects were inflicted by Doyle during the scramble inside the vehicle, but he isn’t sure.
Since then, he’s been out of work.
“I’m trying to get myself right,” he says, as he explains he has struggled to keep focus on instructions since the crash. “I can’t understand it, but working now I’ll get a little bit snappy then embarrassed at things like forgetting stuff.
“I’ll sometimes feel lost and confused, before my mind will be drawn to something else.”
Asked if he thought back to what happened, he says: “I think about it a lot. I’m trying to stop. If I catch myself dwelling on it too much i’ll try and catch myself and do something else, because I can get angry about it. I saw his face [Doyle], I felt his aggression. That stays with you.”
Mr Barr is looking ahead to mindset training, after being picked alongside other ex-servicemen for a workshop starting in the Wirral. He also regularly talks to other survivors, including Mr Eveson, as part of a “group-like rehabilitation,” he says.
open image in galleryIn court, Doyle, who it emerged had a history of violence despite his “perfect family man” image to neighbours, was sentenced to 21 years and six months in prison by Judge Andrew Menary KC. The judge told him “it is difficult, if not impossible, to convey in words alone the scene of devastation you caused”.
Given there was no trial, he did not offer a defence and the motive behind his actions remains unclear. It was said that he was acting out of self preservation, in fear for his safety – but for disbelieving victims, the unanswered questions have only added to the agony.
There has been some support for the victims.
Liverpool FC has been in touch with those the club had details for, and details for support services have been shared through its channels. Fundraisers for those harmed have also seen thousands of pounds distributed, including to Mr Eveson and Ms Aldridge, and Mr Blair.
Former manager Arne Slot personally wrote to victims, and the Liverpool FC Foundation and formers players’ association Forever Reds donated £50,000 to a victim’s fundraiser.
There might be more money coming, with victims’ solicitors pushing for a payout.
However, some still question the planning of the event, attended by more than 1 million people, and how Doyle’s vehicle was able to get down Water Street, where it hit most of the 134 people. In court, prosecutors said Doyle had tailgated an ambulance that led him through a road block.
Earlier this year, an independent safety report, which did not focus on Doyle’s attack due to the court case, found planning had been “thorough”, but that there had been gaps in legislation allowing for some “high-risk behaviour” in the packed crowds.
open image in galleryLiverpool City Council leader Liam Robinson wrote to Home Office, calling for tighter rules on the use of flares and moves to stop people climbing lamp-posts and scaffolding at major events. The Home Office said it never received Mr Robinson’s request.
For many of the survivors, however, more should have been to prevent Doyle’s car entering Water Street.
“Proper barriers should have been in place, and properly manned,” says Mr Blair.
Mr Eveson says: “The fact there were no bollards, but KFC-like signs, that’s what I still don’t understand to this day. It’s like it’s all been brushed under the carpet now, forgotten, and we’re expected to get on with it.
“We’ve all been left alone,” he adds, before pointing out the irony of the Liverpool’s motto; “You’ll never walk alone”.
A Liverpool City Council spokesperson said: “The cornerstone of any traffic management plan is lawful compliance by motorists. Paul Doyle drove with intent past all road closures and followed an ambulance which was responding to an emergency incident.”