A former soldier has been formally praised for his 'outstandingly brave' actions in stopping a motorist who deliberately drove into crowds celebrating a Liverpool FC victory parade, an incident that left more than 100 people injured.
May Day of Chaos at Victory Celebrations
The terrifying incident occurred in May this year as thousands lined the streets of Liverpool to mark the club's Premier League win. Paul Doyle, behind the wheel of a Ford Galaxy, ploughed indiscriminately into the crowd, hitting 134 men, women, and children.
Daniel Barr, a 41-year-old labourer from Birkenhead who had served eight years in the Army, was in the city centre to meet his brother and nephew. After watching the festivities, he was near Castle Street and the Town Hall when he witnessed Doyle's car 'snaking through people, throwing them everywhere'.
A Split-Second Decision to Act
Displaying remarkable calmness, Barr seized a momentary pause in the vehicle's movement. 'I took my opportunity,' he told the Liverpool Echo. Initially planning to smash a window, he tried a door handle instead and found it unlocked. He dived into the moving car.
Inside, he was met with an eerie silence, a stark contrast to the chaos outside. Doyle was repeatedly asking, 'why won't they move out of my way?' Barr attempted to reason with him and grab the steering wheel before realising the car was an automatic.
'I knew, all I've got to do is punch that [parking brake] as hard as I can and keep it there, and it'll surely stop,' he recalled. He clung onto the brake, and the vehicle eventually halted, partly due to his actions and partly because several pedestrians, including a 12-year-old boy, had become trapped underneath.
Commendation and Aftermath
On Tuesday, December 16, Paul Doyle was sentenced to 21-and-a-half years in prison. During the hearing at Liverpool Crown Court, the Honorary Recorder of Liverpool, Judge Andrew Menary KC, formally commended Daniel Barr, awarding him a High Sheriff's Award for his courage.
Barr, who suffered a cut to his head during the ordeal, remains modest. 'I don't consider myself important. I think anybody would have done the same in my position,' he said. He described the days following the attack as heavy and surreal, adding that it was a 'miracle' no one was killed.
The judge's commendation highlighted how Barr's swift and selfless intervention in a moment of extreme public danger was instrumental in preventing even greater tragedy on the streets of Liverpool.
