Driver That Ploughed Into LFC Victory Parade Described as ‘In a Rage’, Court Hears.
An ex- Royal Marine acted as a “man in a rage” when he drove into scores of Liverpool football club supporters at a victory parade, an incident many initially feared to be a terrorist attack, a court has heard.
“The video is deeply disturbing.”
Those injured in the incident cried as dashcam footage showed people being thrown into the air as he accelerated into crowds and shouted: “Fucking hell, move!”
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 29 victims, including eight minors.
‘Consumed by Anger’
Prosecutors stated those in court that the video evidence from Doyle’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy proved to be “truly shocking”. The recording revealed the father of three yelling “expletives” and “fucking move” as he drove towards hundreds of fans, some pulling children out of the way as his car horn blared.
It was stated in court that Doyle was a “man in a rage had completely overpowered him” as he continued driving into the mass of people, speeding up as people collided with his car.
Scale of the Carnage
In total, the former Royal Marine injured 134 people within a mere seven-minute span – including more than 50 requiring hospital care. An infant was “miraculously” unharmed despite being left splayed on the road when Doyle’s car hit his pram, the court heard.
A supporter, Simon Nash, was shown being thrown into the air by the vehicle, sustaining a laceration to the back of his head, broken ribs and multiple abrasions.
The defendant could be heard shouting “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.
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, as Doyle drove into oncoming fans while trying to collect a companion from the parade route.
“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 stopped by an ex-army member, Dan Barr, who climbed into a rear passenger seat and held the car’s gear selector in “park”. Despite this, Doyle continued pressing the gas pedal, the court heard.
In his police interview, Doyle stated he reacted in a “state of sheer panic” due to a fear for his safety. However, prosecutors contended that the dashcam footage demonstrated Doyle “simply lost control in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to”. It was further stated: “Consumed by anger, he targeted the crowd and in doing so his intent was to cause serious injury.”
Reckless Behavior Before the Attack
The video indicated the driver was driving recklessly before he reached the city centre, overtaking cars dangerously and running red lights. He ignored road closures and weaved around other cars, even emergency service vehicles, as he approached the packed streets.
Doyle is expected to receive a prison sentence of over a decade at his sentencing hearing.