Man That Drove Into Liverpool FC Victory Parade Described as ‘Consumed by Rage’, Court Hears.
A former Royal Marine was a “man in a rage” as he drove into dozens of LFC fans at a victory parade, in what many feared was a act of terrorism, a court has heard.
“The video was deeply disturbing.”
Those injured in the incident cried as video from the car’s camera showed people being thrown into the air while he sped towards the gathering while screaming: “Get out of the way!”
Doyle, 54, is due to be sentenced on Tuesday after pleading guilty on the first day of his trial last month to 31 offences against 21 adults and eight children.
‘Consumed by Anger’
The prosecution warned the court that the video evidence from the defendant’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy proved to be “extremely graphic”. The recording revealed the parent yelling “fucking pricks” and “move out of the way” while he headed straight for a large crowd of supporters, with people frantically dragging children to safety as his car horn blared.
The court was told that Doyle acted as a “individual whose anger had completely overpowered him” as he continued driving into the mass of people, accelerating as people collided with his car.
Scale of the Carnage
In total, the former Royal Marine injured 134 individuals in just seven minutes – including more than 50 who needed hospital treatment. An infant was “remarkably” uninjured even though he was left on the roadway after the vehicle struck his stroller, according to testimony.
One fan, Simon Nash, was shown being thrown into the air by the vehicle, suffering a laceration on his head, rib fractures and numerous scrapes.
The defendant could be heard shouting “fuck’s sake move! Get out of my path!” before ploughing further into screaming supporters, including an elderly woman and children who became trapped beneath the vehicle.
Celebration Descends into Chaos
Addressing a packed courtroom, lawyers said about 1 million people were present at “what they thought would be a joyous occasion” marking Liverpool winning their 20th league title. Scenes of jubilation swiftly became “terror”, it was said, when the driver entered the crowd as he attempted to pick up a friend from the parade route.
“Witnesses believed what was taking place was a terrorist attack.”
Brave Intervention Stops Driver
With injured people on the street, Doyle’s rampage was brought to a halt by a former soldier, a man identified in court, who climbed into a rear passenger seat and forced the gearstick into park. Even then, Doyle continued pressing the gas pedal, according to evidence.
In his police interview, Doyle stated he reacted in a “blind panic” due to a fear for his safety. However, the prosecution argued that the dashcam footage demonstrated Doyle “simply lost control in his determination to reach his destination”. The prosecutor added: “In a rage, he targeted the crowd and as he did so his intent was to cause serious injury.”
Reckless Behavior Before the Attack
The video showed the driver was driving recklessly prior to entering downtown, overtaking cars dangerously and running red lights. He ignored road closures and weaved around other vehicles, even emergency service vehicles, as he entered the crowds.
Doyle is understood to be facing a jail term of over a decade at his sentencing hearing.