Man Who Drove Into LFC Victory Parade Was ‘Consumed by Rage’, Court Told.
An ex- Royal Marines Commando was a “person consumed by fury” as he mowed down dozens of Liverpool football club supporters during a victory parade, in what many feared was a act of terrorism, a court has heard.
“The video was truly shocking.”
Victims of Paul Doyle wept as video from the car’s camera showed bodies spinning through the air as he accelerated into crowds 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 involving 21 adults and eight children.
‘Consumed by Anger’
The prosecution stated those in court that the video evidence from the defendant’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy proved to be “extremely graphic”. It showed the father of three shouting “fucking pricks” as well as “fucking move” while he headed straight for a large crowd of supporters, with people frantically dragging children to safety as he blasted the horn.
The court was told that Doyle acted as a “man in a rage 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.
Extent of the Injuries
In total, the former Royal Marine injured 134 people within a mere seven-minute span – including more than 50 who needed hospital treatment. A six-month-old boy was “remarkably” uninjured despite being left splayed on the road after the vehicle struck his stroller, according to testimony.
One fan, Simon Nash, was shown being thrown into the air by the vehicle, sustaining a cut on his head, broken ribs and multiple abrasions.
The defendant was heard screaming “fuck’s sake move! Get out of my path!” prior to driving deeper into panicked fans, among them an older woman and young children who were dragged under the car.
Celebration Descends into Chaos
Speaking to a full court, the prosecution said about 1 million people were present at “what they thought would be a day of joyfulness” to celebrate the football club’s championship win. The celebratory atmosphere turned to “terror”, the prosecutor said, when the driver entered the crowd while trying to collect a companion who had been at the parade.
“Witnesses thought that the events unfolding was a terrorist attack.”
Rampage Halted by Heroic Act
As bodies lay on the ground, 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 forced the gearstick into park. Despite this, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, the court heard.
During questioning, Doyle claimed he acted in a “state of sheer panic” because he feared for his life. However, prosecutors contended that the dashcam footage demonstrated the defendant “simply lost control in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to”. It was further stated: “Consumed by anger, he drove into the crowd and in doing so his intent was to cause serious injury.”
Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident
Footage indicated the driver was driving recklessly before he reached the city centre, undertaking cars at speed and running red lights. He disregarded traffic diversion measures and bypassed other cars, even emergency service vehicles, as he approached the packed streets.
Doyle is expected to receive a jail term of more than 10 years at his sentencing hearing.
