Man Who Ploughed Through LFC Parade Described as ‘In a Rage’, Trial Hears.
An ex- Royal Marine was a “person consumed by fury” when he mowed down scores of Liverpool football club fans at a victory parade, an incident many initially feared to be a terrorist attack, a court has heard.
“The footage is truly shocking.”
Victims of Paul Doyle wept 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, will learn his fate on Tuesday following his guilty plea at the start of his trial last month to 31 criminal charges against 21 adults and eight children.
‘A Man in a Rage’
The prosecution stated those in court that the video evidence from the defendant’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy proved to be “truly shocking”. The recording revealed the father of three yelling “fucking pricks” and “move out of the way” as he drove towards a large crowd of supporters, some pulling children out of the way 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, speeding up as people collided with his car.
Scale of the Carnage
In total, the ex-marine hurt 134 individuals within a mere seven-minute span – including more than 50 requiring hospital care. An infant was “remarkably” unharmed despite being left splayed on the road 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, broken ribs and numerous scrapes.
The defendant was heard screaming “fuck’s sake move! Get out my fucking way!” 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, the prosecution said about 1 million people had attended “an event they believed to be a joyous occasion” marking the football club’s championship win. The celebratory atmosphere swiftly became “terror”, the prosecutor 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.”
Rampage Halted by Heroic Act
With injured people on the street, Doyle’s rampage was brought to a halt by a former soldier, a man identified in court, who entered the back of the car and held the car’s gear selector in “park”. Even then, Doyle continued pressing the gas pedal, the court heard.
During questioning, the defendant claimed he acted in a “blind panic” because he feared for his life. Yet, prosecutors contended that the video showed Doyle “simply lost control in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to”. 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
The video showed the driver had been driving dangerously before he reached the city centre, undertaking cars at speed and running red lights. He ignored traffic diversion measures and bypassed other vehicles, including an ambulance and police cars, as he entered the crowds.
Doyle is understood to be facing a jail term of more than 10 years when he is sentenced on Tuesday.
