An ex- Royal Marine acted as a “man in a rage” when he drove into scores of Liverpool football club fans during a victory parade, in what many feared was a terrorist attack, according to court proceedings.
“The video is deeply disturbing.”
Those injured of Paul Doyle wept while dashcam footage showed people being thrown into the air while he sped towards the gathering while screaming: “Fucking hell, move!”
Doyle, 54, is due to be sentenced on Tuesday after pleading guilty at the start of his trial last month to 31 criminal charges involving 21 adults and eight children.
‘A Man in a Rage’
Prosecutors warned the court that the video evidence from Doyle’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy was “truly shocking”. It showed the parent yelling “expletives” as well as “move out of the way” as he drove towards hundreds of fans, some pulling children out of the way as he blasted the horn.
It was stated in court that Doyle was a “man in a rage whose anger had completely taken hold of him” as he ploughed further into the crowd, speeding up while individuals were struck by his vehicle.
Extent of the Injuries
In total, the former Royal Marine injured 134 people within a mere seven-minute span – with over fifty requiring hospital care. A six-month-old boy was “remarkably” uninjured even though he was left on the roadway after the vehicle struck his stroller, according to testimony.
One fan, a man named in court, was shown being thrown into the air by the vehicle, suffering a cut on his head, rib fractures and multiple abrasions.
The defendant could be heard shouting “for God’s sake move! Get out my fucking way!” before ploughing further into panicked fans, among them an older woman and young children who became trapped beneath the vehicle.
Scene of Jubilation Turns to Horror
Addressing a packed courtroom, lawyers said about 1 million people were present at “what they thought would be a day of joyfulness” to celebrate Liverpool winning their 20th league title. Scenes of jubilation turned to “horror”, the prosecutor said, as Doyle drove into oncoming fans as he attempted to pick up a friend from the parade route.
“Witnesses believed the events unfolding was a terrorist attack.”
Brave Intervention Stops Driver
As bodies lay on the ground, Doyle’s rampage was stopped by an ex-army member, a man identified in court, who entered the back of the car and held the car’s gear selector in “park”. Even then, Doyle continued pressing the gas pedal, the court heard.
In his police interview, the defendant claimed he acted in a “state of sheer panic” due to a fear for his safety. However, the prosecution argued that the video demonstrated the defendant “just lost his temper in his determination to reach his destination”. It was further stated: “Consumed by anger, he targeted the crowd and in doing so he intended to cause them serious harm.”
Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident
Footage showed the driver had been driving dangerously prior to entering downtown, overtaking cars dangerously and running red lights. He disregarded traffic diversion measures and bypassed other vehicles, including an ambulance and police cars, as he approached the packed streets.
The defendant is understood to be facing a jail term of more than 10 years at his sentencing hearing.
