Why can't the Liverpool parade suspect be named? Dad-of-three businessman held over ‘rampage' which injured 79

The Sun

29-05-2025

Jamie Phillips, Assistant News Editor
Published: Invalid Date,
THE Liverpool parade suspect has been in custody since 79 fans were injured during celebrations in the city on Monday.
The suspect, a 53-year-old white British man, is believed to be a dad-of-three businessman who ran a now-dissolved firm.
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He is being held on suspicion of attempted murder, driving while unfit through drugs and dangerous driving offences.
However, he cannot be named due to strict legal reasons.
From the moment of the arrest, speculation has surged online over the name of the suspect.
But the press and public are restricted in the details that can be disclosed regarding identity once an arrest has been made.
A suspect who has been arrested and not yet charged is entitled to a reasonable expectation of privacy.
It means the details that can be made public are usually limited to sex, age and a rough location of where they are from.
The standpoint was given further credence following a Supreme Court ruling in 2022, which concluded that a person under criminal investigation has a reasonable expectation of privacy.
Essentially, a suspect cannot be named until they are charged with a particular offence.
Publication of a name prior to charge may be in breach of privacy laws and defamatory if the allegations are later proven to be false.
Contempt laws also apply from the moment of arrest, acting to prevent the publication of any material that creates a substantial risk of prejudicing a jury at a potential future trial.
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Police have 24 hours to question an individual suspected of committing a crime.
In this case, cops were given "further time to continue questioning him" on Wednesday.
A request for an extension to custody time is usually made through a magistrates' court, but can be authorised by a police superintendent when an individual is suspected of committing a serious crime.
If the suspect is charged, police will usually publicly release their name and street address - thus avoiding any chance of misidentification.
To reach a point where a charge is brought, police forces consult the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
When considering whether a suspect should be charged, lawyers assess a key question of whether there is a "realistic prospect of conviction?".
If the answer is yes and the individual is charged, police stop all questioning and the suspect will appear in court later the same or the following day.
Police have until today to either bring charges, release him, or apply for a further extension.
It comes as the horrified wife of the Liverpool suspect is said to have only found out about the incident when she saw her car on TV.
Neighbours of the suspect said he was 'quiet' and 'didn't go out partying'.
Yesterday a neighbour in the city 's West Derby suburb revealed the suspect's wife's shock 'when she saw her car on the TV news'.
The neighbour added: 'The wife is a really nice woman and they have children.
"No one can believe this has happened.
'She first realised when she saw it was her car on the telly, when she saw it being driven at the parade.
"The normal police cars turned up at teatime then Matrix vans turned up later that night.
'Everyone's just in shock. I genuinely don't know what's happened.
"They seem like a nice family.'
Police have been scouring dashcam content and CCTV to piece together the driver's movements.
Officers believe he gained access to the packed street, which had been blocked off, by tailgating an ambulance as paramedics entered to treat a man suspected of suffering a heart attack.
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