LONDON
\nA British man wiped away tears Tuesday as his trial began for allegedly driving his car into crowds at Liverpool Football Club\u2019s Premier League victory parade in May, injuring dozens of people.
\nPaul Doyle held his head in his hands as jurors at Liverpool Crown Court in northwest England were sworn in to hear the case against him.
\nWearing a suit and glasses, the 54-year-old spoke briefly to enter not guilty pleas to four newly-amended counts. He denies 31 charges including for causing grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, wounding with intent, affray and dangerous driving.
\nHis trial \u2014 before a jury of five women and seven men \u2014 is expected to last three to four weeks.
\nJudge Andrew Menary sent the jurors home early and told them to return on Wednesday morning, when prosecutors are expected to open the case with a summary of their evidence.
\nDoyle, from a suburb of Liverpool, is accused of driving into people as they were leaving the May 26 victory parade to celebrate Liverpool\u2019s victory.
\nThe club had claimed a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title when the Premier League season ended the previous day.
\nIts players had paraded the trophy along the city\u2019s waterfront in front of hundreds of thousands of fans.
\nSome roads in the central area had been closed to normal traffic to allow the parade to pass.
\nScores injured
\nAt his first hearing at Liverpool Magistrates\u2019 Court on May 30, prosecutors alleged that Doyle \u201cused his vehicle deliberately as a weapon\u201d and \u201cdrove deliberately at people.\u201d
\nDoyle also appeared emotional that day, again wiping away tears as he stood in the dock.
\nMerseyside Police swiftly declared that the incident was not terrorism. But the circumstances of the alleged attack remain unclear.
\nThe force previously said 134 people \u2014 including infants, other children and adults \u2014 were injured when Doyle, reportedly a former Royal Marine, allegedly drove his Ford Galaxy Titanium into the crowds.
\nThere were no fatalities, but 50 people required hospital treatment.
\nAccording to initial police information, Doyle allegedly followed an ambulance down the closed Water Street in his vehicle when police cleared a path for a medical emergency.
\nFour people, including one child, were trapped under the vehicle, which had to be lifted to remove them, fire services said at the time.
\nThe criminal charges relate to 29 victims, including eight who were children at the time. The youngest was six-months-old.
\nSome of those set to give evidence will reportedly do so from behind screens.
\nA father-of-three, Doyle has been in custody since his arrest following the incident that turned a day of joy into a scene of chaos.
\nHe was originally charged with seven offenses, but 24 new counts were added to the indictment in August and he pleaded not guilty to them on September 4.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
LONDON A British man wiped away tears Tuesday as his trial began for allegedly driving his car into crowds at Liverpool Football Club\u2019s Premier League victory parade in May, injuring dozens of people. Paul Doyle held his head in his hands as jurors at Liverpool Crown Court in northwest England were sworn in to hear […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":516759,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-516732","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n