Man That Drove Into LFC Victory Parade Described as ‘In a Rage’, Trial Hears.
An ex- Royal Marine was a “man in a rage” when he drove into dozens of Liverpool football club supporters at a victory parade, in what many feared was a act of terrorism, according to court proceedings.
“The footage was profoundly upsetting.”
Victims of Paul Doyle wept as dashcam footage depicted people being thrown into the air while he sped towards the gathering and shouted: “Get out of the way!”
Doyle, 54, will learn his fate on Tuesday following his guilty plea on the first day of his trial last month to 31 criminal charges against 21 adults and eight children.
‘Consumed by Anger’
Prosecutors warned those in court that the video evidence from the defendant’s large people carrier proved to be “extremely graphic”. It showed the parent shouting “fucking pricks” as well as “fucking move” as he drove towards hundreds of fans, with people frantically dragging children to safety as his car horn blared.
It was stated in court that Doyle acted as a “individual whose anger whose anger had completely taken hold of him” as he ploughed further into the crowd, accelerating as people collided with his car.
Scale of the Carnage
Overall, the ex-marine hurt 134 individuals in just seven minutes – with over fifty who needed hospital treatment. A six-month-old boy was “miraculously” unharmed despite being left splayed on the road when Doyle’s car hit his pram, the court heard.
One fan, Simon Nash, was seen being launched into the air by the vehicle, sustaining a cut to the back of his head, rib fractures and numerous scrapes.
Doyle was heard screaming “fuck’s sake move! Get out my fucking way!” prior to driving deeper into panicked fans, among them an older woman and young children who were dragged under the car.
Celebration Descends into Chaos
Addressing a packed courtroom, lawyers said approximately a million individuals were present at “an event they believed to be a day of joyfulness” marking the football club’s championship win. Scenes of jubilation swiftly became “terror”, it was said, as Doyle drove into oncoming fans as he attempted to pick up a friend from the parade route.
“Witnesses believed what was taking place constituted a terrorist incident.”
Rampage Halted by Heroic Act
As bodies lay on the ground, the vehicle’s path was brought to a halt by an ex-army member, a man identified in court, who climbed into a rear passenger seat and held the car’s gear selector in “park”. Despite this, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, according to evidence.
In his police interview, Doyle claimed he reacted in a “state of sheer panic” due to a fear for his safety. Yet, prosecutors contended that the dashcam footage demonstrated Doyle “simply lost control in his determination to reach his destination”. The prosecutor added: “Consumed by anger, he targeted the crowd and in doing so his intent was to cause serious injury.”
Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident
The video showed Doyle had been driving dangerously before he reached the city centre, overtaking cars dangerously and jumping red lights. He disregarded road closures and weaved around other cars, including an ambulance and police cars, as he approached the packed streets.
Doyle is expected to receive a prison sentence of more than 10 years when he is sentenced on Tuesday.
