A mother from the Midlands has described the terrifying moment her baby son was thrown 15 feet down a road after a driver deliberately ploughed into a crowd of football fans celebrating a Liverpool FC victory.
A Day of Celebration Turns to Terror
Sheree Aldridge, a 37-year-old safeguarding officer from Cannock, was walking back to her car with her then five-month-old son, Teddy, and her partner, Daniel Eveson, 37, in Liverpool last May. The city was alive with fans marking Liverpool's Premier League win. The atmosphere shattered when someone shouted a warning: 'car'.
Daniel reacted instantly, spinning Sheree away from the oncoming vehicle. However, it was too late to avoid impact. Sheree was struck on her side by a Ford Galaxy, driven by 54-year-old Paul Doyle. The force of the collision sent Teddy's pram, with him inside, flying 15 feet down Water Street.
'I Screamed and Screamed for My Baby'
Recalling the traumatic incident, Sheree told of her desperate fear for her infant son. "I lost sight of the pram, and as I lay there in the road, I screamed and screamed to let people know my baby was up the road," she said.
Daniel rushed to find the pram. Miraculously, Teddy was unharmed. "I can’t believe to this day how lucky we were that he was OK," Sheree stated. "It was a miracle, really. If Dan hadn’t turned us round, we would have been hit by the car head-on."
The psychological impact has been profound. Sheree said the event stripped away her sense of security. "You feel like you’ve got a target on you and that anything can happen. So you look at things in a different way."
Lasting Injuries and a Landmark Sentence
The physical consequences for the family have been severe and lasting. Sheree spent two weeks in hospital with a serious leg wound and continues to receive treatment for nerve damage and a spinal injury. Doctors have compared her injuries to those sustained in a motorway crash.
"My injury means I can’t pick up Teddy for too long, and I can’t sit down for too long on the floor with him," she explained. She faces ongoing physiotherapy and plastic surgery, with no certainty the pain will ever fully subside.
Daniel suffered three broken ribs and severe muscle bruising. The pain forced him to give up his work as a labourer, compounding the family's hardship.
On Tuesday, December 16, Paul Doyle was jailed for 21-and-a-half years at Liverpool Crown Court after pleading guilty to 31 charges, including intent to cause grievous bodily harm. The court heard he acted in a rage when confronted by the celebrating crowds. Sheree and Daniel were among 134 victims who attended the sentencing.
Remarkably, Sheree says she feels no anger towards Doyle. "I don’t think about him at all... I don’t really know the reason [he did it]. I haven’t got any feelings towards him, because I just feel if I’m angry then that’s going to affect my day-to-day life."
Following the hearing, Daniel expressed relief at the sentence. "Yes, we are happy with [the] sentence. I hope he has time to reflect on all those people he hurt. Not just physically, but the psychological side has had more effect on most people... It’s justice for all the victims."
