Man Who Ploughed Into LFC Parade Described as ‘In a Rage’, Court Hears.
A former Royal Marine was a “man in a rage” when he mowed down dozens of Liverpool football club fans during a victory parade, an incident many initially feared to be a terrorist attack, a court has heard.
“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, will learn his fate on Tuesday following his guilty plea at the start of his trial last month to 31 criminal charges against 29 victims, including eight minors.
‘A Man in a Rage’
The prosecution warned the court that the video evidence from the defendant’s large people carrier proved to be “truly shocking”. It showed the father of three shouting “expletives” and “move out of the way” as he drove towards a large crowd of supporters, with people frantically dragging children to safety as his car horn blared.
The court was told that Doyle acted as a “man in a rage had completely overpowered him” as he continued driving into the mass of people, accelerating as people collided with his car.
Extent of the Injuries
Overall, the former Royal Marine injured 134 individuals within a mere seven-minute span – including more than 50 requiring hospital care. A six-month-old boy was “miraculously” unharmed 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 car, suffering a cut on his head, broken ribs and numerous scrapes.
The defendant was heard screaming “for God’s sake move! Get out of my path!” prior to driving deeper 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, lawyers said about 1 million people had attended “what they thought would be a day of joyfulness” to celebrate the football club’s championship win. The celebratory atmosphere turned to “horror”, the prosecutor said, as Doyle drove into oncoming fans while trying to collect a companion from the parade route.
“Witnesses thought that the events unfolding 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, Dan Barr, who entered the back of the car and held the car’s gear selector in “park”. Even then, Doyle continued pressing the gas pedal, according to evidence.
In his police interview, Doyle stated he reacted in a “blind panic” because he feared for his life. Yet, prosecutors contended that the dashcam footage showed the defendant “just lost his temper in his determination to reach his destination”. The prosecutor added: “Consumed by anger, he drove into the crowd and in doing so his intent was to cause serious injury.”
Reckless Behavior Before the Attack
The video showed Doyle had been driving dangerously before he reached the city centre, undertaking cars at speed and running red lights. He disregarded 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.
