Car drives into pedestrians at Liverpool FC victory parade. Man detained

[dm799]

So the drug driving charge has been dropped? That’s a strange one to release it to the media and then drop it (surely that’s one of easiest to prove).

No charges to drop. Was previously arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, dangerous driving and drug driving.

What made the police suspect drugs is something we likely will never know.

 

[tara83]

Seems to be weak charges for almost killing this many people.

 

[Yellowbelly]

Seems to be weak charges for almost killing this many people.

Not really. Depending on the circumstances, the maximum you can get for GBH with intent is 16 years.

Causing grievous bodily harm with intent to do grievous bodily harm / Wounding with intent to do GBH – Sentencing

www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk

 

[MollyHarps]

No charges to drop. Was previously arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, dangerous driving and drug driving.

What made the police suspect drugs is something we likely will never know.

I would have thought by the time they released the suspicion of charges they’d have known whether or not he had drugs in his system.

I think when this goes to trial it’ll be very difficult to get a fair jury who are unaware that he was arrested on suspicion of drug driving.

I think a jury would rightly look much favourably on a man who panicked when his car was attacked by fans.

Rather than a man who panicked when driving with drugs in his system.

 

[tara83]

Not really. Depending on the circumstances, the maximum you can get for GBH with intent is 16 years.

Causing grievous bodily harm with intent to do grievous bodily harm / Wounding with intent to do GBH – Sentencing

www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk

Then laws need changed IMO.

 

[SirDigbyChickenCaesar]

Blood tests for drugs may take a bit longer to process, or a fail with a mouth swab may have been below the legal limit when blood tests were in.

 

[dunkley]

Blood tests for drugs may take a bit longer to process, or a fail with a mouth swab may have been below the legal limit when blood tests were in.

This is very similar to roadside screening for alcohol. A roadside breath test gives the grounds for arrest. Either by failing the roadside test, refusing, or failing to provide. If a driver fails the roadside test, he will be arrested and then an *evidential* test is performed in the custody suite. It is not unusual for drivers who are close to the legal limit to fail at the roadside but pass at the police station. I am guessing that the drug swipes are similar. (They didn't exist way back when I was policing!)
Also, not every driver who fails the evidential test is drunk. There are those who fail - just - on a single pint of super strong ale, and those who fail on a bottle of vodka, and are almost falling down drunk
The safest way is don't touch a drop if you are driving.

 

[Skigh]

Blood tests for drugs may take a bit longer to process, or a fail with a mouth swab may have been below the legal limit when blood tests were in.

Sometimes things like poppy seeds can give a false reading for drugs .

 

[Marantz4250b]

I would have thought by the time they released the suspicion of charges they’d have known whether or not he had drugs in his system.

The "suspicion" is merely the reason for the arrest. The police cannot just arrest someone for no reason. If they have "reasonable suspicion" of a particular crime then they can arrest.

 

[Marantz4250b]

Is this really what the UK has come to......a deputy Chief Constable for one of the largest metropolitan areas in the UK who isn't even aware of how you pronounce the word "grievous"!!! What an absolute embarrassment!

 

[Marantz4250b]

But not drug driving.

Ot attempted murder which I, for one, never expected he would be.

 

[Marantz4250b]

Charges are quite different compared to what they were arrested for. Interesting.

No drug offences and no attempted murder.

If he was on drugs they'd need to have tests to come back before they decided to charge. The CPS would never authorise a charge if there evidence didn't exist.

He can be charged with other stuff later.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

"Now that Paul Doyle has been charged, we ask that the judicial process be allowed to continue without any speculation online or anywhere else that could impede the pursuit of justice for all of those affected," she added.

“A total of 79 people were injured. We continue to be in contact with our officers and staff, and seven people remain in hospital receiving the expert care of our NHS colleagues. I hope that all of those who are injured, all witnessed in this terrible incident, are able given time to heal and recover.

Alleged Liverpool driver Paul Doyle faces charges against six victims

Paul Doyle, 53, is accused of seven offences following the incident on Water Street

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk

• The investigation team has today been granted further time to continue questioning the 53-year-old in police custody, which will remain in place until tomorrow.
• Water Street has now reopened to vehicles and pedestrians after the police cordon was stood down.
• Merseyside Police believe a car that hit crowds of people followed an ambulance after a road block was temporarily lifted so paramedics could help a member of the public who suffered a suspected heart attack.

Liverpool parade LIVE: Police continue to question suspect

Merseyside Police have also been able to identify more people who were injured

www.liverpoolecho.co.uk

 

[dm799]

Is this really what the UK has come to......a deputy Chief Constable for one of the largest metropolitan areas in the UK who isn't even aware of how you pronounce the word "grievous"!!! What an absolute embarrassment!

That was fairly painful to witness. And it didn't help that they had to say it so many times.

 

[Marantz4250b]

Attempted murder is a very difficult crime to prove, in that the prosecution would need to show that he was trying to kill people. GBH is much easier for the prosecution to get over the line.

Exactly!

Attempted murder was just one of the reasons for the arrest; a police officer has to have "reasonable suspicion" to make an arrest and driving a vehicle at a crowd of people would easily fill that criteria. Actually proving it to the relevant legal criteria is a completely different matter, though.

If he'd actually killed someone then they'd have a much easier time proving murder, imo.

 

[Marantz4250b]

Seems to be weak charges for almost killing this many people.

What other charges would you suggest?

GBH, after all, can result in a very long stretch. Life, in fact.

 

[Marantz4250b]

That was fairly painful to witness. And it didn't help that they had to say it so many times.

Just a wild guess of my own but I suspect that the DCC is a fast-track candidate who saw very little police at the "sharp end". Old ex-cop mates of mine describe such people as never having "seen an angry man".

Moo and I'm happy to be corrected - "grieviously" corrected!

 

[jackal67]

So the drug driving charge has been dropped? That’s a strange one to release it to the media and then drop it (surely that’s one of easiest to prove).

Yes that is strange

 

[Marantz4250b]

"Now that Paul Doyle has been charged, we ask that the judicial process be allowed to continue without any speculation online or anywhere else that could impede the pursuit of justice for all of those affected," she added.

“A total of 79 people were injured. We continue to be in contact with our officers and staff, and seven people remain in hospital receiving the expert care of our NHS colleagues. I hope that all of those who are injured, all witnessed in this terrible incident, are able given time to heal and recover.

Alleged Liverpool driver Paul Doyle faces charges against six victims

Paul Doyle, 53, is accused of seven offences following the incident on Water Street

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk

• The investigation team has today been granted further time to continue questioning the 53-year-old in police custody, which will remain in place until tomorrow.
• Water Street has now reopened to vehicles and pedestrians after the police cordon was stood down.
• Merseyside Police believe a car that hit crowds of people followed an ambulance after a road block was temporarily lifted so paramedics could help a member of the public who suffered a suspected heart attack.

Liverpool parade LIVE: Police continue to question suspect

Merseyside Police have also been able to identify more people who were injured

www.liverpoolecho.co.uk

That was another in my view "grieviously" bad form of words. She's making a statement about not prejudicing the course of justice, yet that statement in itself, could, in my opinion, be taken as not being impartial.

It could easily have been taken as meaning "don't say anything which might get this kicked out and not let us nail this guy.

IMO, obvs, but not an unreasonable one, I don't think.

I really don't know why these pressers have to go into so may words. Just give the facts and shut up.

 

[Marantz4250b]

Yes that is strange

It's not strange. They haven't "dropped" anything as he was never charged with it.