Driver Who Drove Into LFC Victory Parade Was ‘In a Rage’, Court Told.
An ex- Royal Marine acted as a “man in a rage” as he mowed down scores of Liverpool football club supporters at a championship celebration, in what many feared was a terrorist attack, a court has heard.
“The footage is profoundly upsetting.”
Those injured of Paul Doyle wept while dashcam footage depicted bodies spinning through the air while he sped towards the gathering while screaming: “Get out of the way!”
The 54-year-old defendant will learn his fate on Tuesday after pleading guilty on the first day of his trial last month to 31 criminal charges against 29 victims, including eight minors.
‘A Man in a Rage’
The prosecution stated the court that the video evidence from Doyle’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy was “truly shocking”. The recording revealed the father of three shouting “fucking pricks” and “move out of the way” while he headed straight for hundreds of fans, with people frantically dragging children to safety 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.
Scale of the Carnage
In total, the ex-marine hurt 134 individuals in just seven minutes – with over fifty requiring hospital care. A six-month-old boy was “miraculously” uninjured even though he was left on the roadway after the vehicle struck his stroller, the court heard.
One fan, Simon Nash, was shown being thrown into the air by the car, sustaining a laceration on his head, rib fractures and multiple abrasions.
The defendant was heard screaming “fuck’s sake move! Get out of my path!” prior to driving deeper into screaming supporters, including an elderly woman and children who were dragged under the car.
Scene of Jubilation Turns to Horror
Addressing a packed courtroom, lawyers said approximately a million individuals were present at “what they thought would be a day of joyfulness” to celebrate the football club’s championship win. Scenes of jubilation turned to “terror”, the prosecutor said, when the driver entered the crowd while trying to collect a companion from the parade route.
“Some at the scene believed what was taking place was a terrorist attack.”
Rampage Halted by Heroic Act
With injured people on the street, the vehicle’s path 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”. Despite this, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, according to evidence.
During questioning, the defendant stated he reacted in a “blind panic” because he feared for his life. However, prosecutors contended that the dashcam footage demonstrated Doyle “just lost his temper in his determination to reach his destination”. The prosecutor added: “In a rage, he targeted the crowd and in doing so his intent was to cause serious injury.”
Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident
Footage showed the driver was driving recklessly prior to entering downtown, overtaking cars dangerously and running red lights. He ignored road closures and bypassed other vehicles, 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.
