Liverpool suspect's wife found out about horror when 'she saw her car on TV' as details about dad of 3 revealed
THE horrified wife of the Liverpool parade suspect is said to have only found out about the chaotic rampage when she saw her car on TV.
A 53-year-old suspect, a white British dad of three, remains in custody after cops were granted more time to quiz him.
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.”
The neighbour described the suspect as a “regular family man” and “a bit of a complainer”, adding: “I wish I knew more.”
He is believed to be a businessman who ran a now-dissolved firm.
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Vans from elite police unit Matrix have been at the £250,000 four-bed house since Monday’s incident.
Police confirmed yesterday the number of injured had risen from 65 to 79, including at least four children.
The youngest victim was just nine, while the oldest was 78, cops revealed on Thursday.
Seven people remained in hospital in a stable condition.
The driver was arrested on Monday at the scene — in Water Street — on suspicion of attempted murder, driving while unfit through drugs, and dangerous driving.
Footage shows the moment two cops dragged the driver out of a grey Ford Galaxy after it finally came to a stop in the middle of the parade.
Heroic fans could be seen hitting the car as they tried to slow it down after scores were left injured.
Horrifying footage also shows a number of people left laying on the floor around the car as emergency crews desperately tried to help the injured.
Police have until today to either bring charges, release him, or apply for a further extension.
They were scouring the 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.
By Jamie Phillips
A 53-year-old man 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.
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.
Dental student Stefanie Ryder-Walker, 26, was caught up in the horror with fiancé Ellis Matthews.
She said yesterday: “We had to dive out of the way.
“People were shouting at the driver, saying the road was closed and to stop.
“I want to point out how utterly heroic the fans were.
“They put their lives on the line to try to stop that vehicle injuring more people.”
Cops confirmed the incident was not being treated as terrorism and those injured were recovering well.
Det Supt Rachel Wilson said: “I’m pleased to say that the number of people in hospital is reducing as they continue to recover from the awful incident.
“We continue to support those still receiving treatment and as part of our enquiries we are identifying more people who were injured.
“I want to reassure the public that detectives are making significant progress as we seek to establish the full circumstances that led to what happened.
“In addition, extensive CCTV enquiries are being carried out across the city to establish the movements of the car, a Ford Galaxy, before the incident took place.
“We’ve already had an incredible response from many of those who were there on the day and I thank them for their co-operation.”
