Man Who Drove Into Liverpool FC Parade Described as ‘In a Rage’, Court Hears.
An ex- Royal Marines Commando acted as a “man in a rage” as he drove into dozens of Liverpool football club supporters at a victory parade, in what many feared was a terrorist attack, according to court proceedings.
“The video is truly shocking.”
Victims of Paul Doyle wept while dashcam footage showed bodies spinning through the air as he accelerated into crowds and shouted: “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 29 victims, including eight minors.
‘Consumed by Anger’
Prosecutors stated the court that the footage from Doyle’s large people carrier was “truly shocking”. The recording revealed the father of three shouting “expletives” as well as “fucking move” while he headed straight for hundreds of fans, with people frantically dragging children to safety as he blasted the horn.
The court was told 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 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 who needed hospital treatment. An infant was “miraculously” unharmed even though he was left on the roadway when Doyle’s car hit his pram, according to testimony.
One fan, Simon Nash, was shown being thrown into the air by the vehicle, suffering a laceration on his head, rib fractures and numerous scrapes.
Doyle could be heard shouting “fuck’s sake move! Get out of my path!” prior to driving deeper into panicked fans, 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 were present at “an event they believed to be a joyous occasion” marking 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 from the parade route.
“Some at the scene thought that what was taking place 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, a man identified in court, who climbed into a rear passenger seat and held the car’s gear selector in “park”. Even then, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, the court heard.
During questioning, Doyle claimed he reacted in a “state of sheer panic” because he feared for his life. However, prosecutors contended that the video showed the defendant “simply lost control in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to”. It was further stated: “In a rage, he drove into the crowd and as he did so he intended to cause them serious harm.”
Reckless Behavior Before the Attack
The video indicated Doyle had been driving dangerously before he reached the city centre, overtaking cars dangerously and jumping red lights. He disregarded traffic diversion measures and bypassed other cars, even emergency service vehicles, as he entered the crowds.
Doyle is expected to receive a jail term of over a decade when he is sentenced on Tuesday.
