A former Royal Marine acted as a “man in a rage” as he drove into scores of LFC fans at a victory parade, an incident many initially feared to be a terrorist attack, according to court proceedings.
“The footage is truly shocking.”
Victims of Paul Doyle cried 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, is due to be sentenced on Tuesday after pleading guilty at the start of his trial last month to 31 offences involving 29 victims, including eight minors.
‘Consumed by Anger’
Prosecutors stated the court that the footage from Doyle’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy proved to be “truly shocking”. The recording revealed the father of three shouting “fucking pricks” and “move out of the way” while he headed straight for a large crowd of supporters, some pulling children out of the way 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 continued driving into the mass of people, accelerating as people collided with his car.
Scale of the Carnage
Overall, the former Royal Marine injured 134 individuals within a mere seven-minute span – including more than 50 who needed hospital treatment. An infant was “remarkably” uninjured even though he was left on the roadway when Doyle’s car hit his pram, according to testimony.
One fan, Simon Nash, was shown being thrown into the air by the car, sustaining a cut to the back of his head, rib fractures and numerous scrapes.
The defendant was heard screaming “for God’s sake move! Get out of my path!” before ploughing further into panicked fans, including an elderly woman and children who became trapped beneath the vehicle.
Scene of Jubilation Turns to Horror
Speaking to a full court, lawyers said about 1 million people were present at “what they thought would be a day of joyfulness” to celebrate the football club’s championship win. The celebratory atmosphere turned to “terror”, the prosecutor said, as Doyle drove into oncoming fans while trying to collect a companion who had been at the parade.
“Some at the scene thought that what was taking place constituted a terrorist incident.”
Brave Intervention Stops Driver
With injured people on the street, Doyle’s rampage was brought to a halt by an ex-army member, Dan Barr, who entered the back of the car and held the car’s gear selector in “park”. Despite this, Doyle continued pressing the gas pedal, the court heard.
During questioning, the defendant stated he reacted in a “state of sheer panic” because he feared for his life. Yet, the prosecution argued that the dashcam footage showed Doyle “just lost his temper in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to”. The prosecutor added: “Consumed by anger, he drove into the crowd and as he did so his intent was to cause serious injury.”
Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident
The video indicated Doyle had been driving dangerously before he reached the city centre, overtaking cars dangerously and jumping red lights. He ignored traffic diversion measures and weaved around other vehicles, even emergency service vehicles, as he entered the crowds.
The defendant is understood to be facing a jail term of more than 10 years when he is sentenced on Tuesday.
