Man Who Ploughed Through Liverpool FC Victory Parade Was ‘Consumed by Rage’, Court Told.
A former Royal Marines Commando acted as a “person consumed by fury” as he mowed down scores of LFC supporters during a victory parade, in what many feared was a terrorist attack, according to court proceedings.
“The footage is profoundly upsetting.”
Victims in the incident cried while dashcam footage showed bodies spinning through the air while he sped towards the gathering while screaming: “Get out of the way!”
Doyle, 54, is due to be sentenced on Tuesday following his guilty plea on the first day of his trial last month to 31 criminal charges involving 21 adults and eight children.
‘Consumed by Anger’
The prosecution stated those in court that the footage from Doyle’s large people carrier proved to be “extremely graphic”. It showed the father of three yelling “expletives” as well as “fucking move” while he headed straight for hundreds of fans, with people frantically dragging children to safety as his car horn blared.
It was stated in court that Doyle acted as a “individual whose anger had completely overpowered him” as he ploughed further into the crowd, speeding up as people collided with his car.
Scale of the Carnage
Overall, the ex-marine injured 134 individuals within a mere seven-minute span – with over fifty requiring hospital care. A six-month-old boy was “remarkably” unharmed despite being left splayed on the road after the vehicle struck his stroller, according to testimony.
One fan, a man named in court, was shown being thrown into the air by the car, suffering a laceration to the back of his head, rib fractures and multiple abrasions.
The defendant was heard screaming “for God’s sake move! Get out of my path!” before ploughing further into screaming supporters, among them an older woman and young children who were dragged under the car.
Celebration Descends into Chaos
Addressing a packed courtroom, the prosecution said approximately a million individuals were present at “what they thought would be a day of joyfulness” to celebrate Liverpool winning their 20th league title. Scenes of jubilation turned to “horror”, the prosecutor said, when the driver entered the crowd while trying to collect a companion from the parade route.
“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, Dan Barr, who climbed into a rear passenger seat 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 “state of sheer panic” because he feared for his life. Yet, the prosecution argued that the dashcam footage demonstrated the defendant “simply lost control in his determination to reach his destination”. It was further stated: “Consumed by anger, he targeted the crowd and as he did so his intent was to cause serious injury.”
Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident
Footage showed Doyle was driving recklessly prior to entering downtown, 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.
Doyle is expected to receive a jail term of over a decade when he is sentenced on Tuesday.