Man Who Ploughed Through Liverpool FC Parade Described as ‘Consumed by Rage’, Court Told.
An ex- Royal Marines Commando was a “man in a rage” as he drove into scores of Liverpool football club fans at a championship celebration, in what many feared was a terrorist attack, a court has heard.
“The video is deeply disturbing.”
Victims in the incident cried while 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 after pleading guilty on the first day of his trial last month to 31 offences against 21 adults and eight children.
‘A Man in a Rage’
Prosecutors stated those in court that the footage from the defendant’s large people carrier proved to be “truly shocking”. The recording revealed the father of three shouting “fucking pricks” 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 “individual whose anger whose anger had completely taken hold of him” as he continued driving into the mass of people, speeding up as people collided with his car.
Scale of the Carnage
Overall, the ex-marine hurt 134 people within a mere seven-minute span – with over fifty who needed hospital treatment. An infant was “miraculously” unharmed despite being left splayed on the road when Doyle’s car hit his pram, according to testimony.
One fan, Simon Nash, was shown being thrown into the air by the car, suffering a laceration on his head, broken ribs and numerous scrapes.
The defendant could be heard shouting “for God’s sake move! Get out of my path!” before ploughing further into screaming supporters, including an elderly woman and children who were dragged under the car.
Celebration Descends into Chaos
Addressing a packed courtroom, lawyers said about 1 million people were present at “an event they believed to be a day of joyfulness” to celebrate the football club’s championship win. The celebratory atmosphere swiftly became “terror”, it was said, when the driver entered the crowd while trying to collect a companion who had been at the parade.
“Witnesses believed the events unfolding constituted a terrorist incident.”
Brave Intervention Stops Driver
As bodies lay on the ground, Doyle’s rampage was brought to a halt 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 kept his foot on the accelerator, according to evidence.
During questioning, Doyle claimed he reacted in a “blind panic” due to a fear for his safety. Yet, prosecutors contended that the dashcam footage demonstrated the defendant “simply lost control in his determination to reach his destination”. The prosecutor added: “In a rage, he targeted the crowd and in doing so he intended to cause them serious harm.”
Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident
The video indicated the driver was driving recklessly before he reached the city centre, undertaking cars at speed and jumping red lights. He disregarded road closures and bypassed other cars, including an ambulance and police cars, as he entered the crowds.
The defendant is expected to receive a jail term of more than 10 years at his sentencing hearing.
