Man Who Ploughed Into LFC Parade Described as ‘In a Rage’, Court Hears.
An ex- Royal Marine was a “person consumed by fury” when he drove into dozens of Liverpool football club supporters during a championship celebration, in what many feared was a terrorist attack, according to court proceedings.
“The footage was deeply disturbing.”
Those injured in the incident cried while dashcam footage depicted people being thrown into the air while he sped towards the gathering while screaming: “Fucking hell, move!”
The 54-year-old defendant is due to be sentenced on Tuesday after pleading guilty at the start of his trial last month to 31 offences against 29 victims, including eight minors.
‘A Man in a Rage’
The prosecution stated the court that the footage from Doyle’s large people carrier proved to be “truly shocking”. The recording revealed the parent shouting “fucking pricks” as well as “fucking move” as he drove towards hundreds of fans, with people frantically dragging children to safety as his car horn blared.
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 while individuals were struck by his vehicle.
Extent of the Injuries
Overall, the former Royal Marine hurt 134 individuals within a mere seven-minute span – including more than 50 requiring hospital care. A six-month-old boy was “miraculously” uninjured despite being left splayed on the road when Doyle’s car hit his pram, according to testimony.
One fan, Simon Nash, was shown being thrown into the air by the car, suffering a cut to the back of his head, broken ribs and numerous scrapes.
Doyle was heard screaming “for God’s sake move! Get out my fucking way!” before ploughing further into panicked fans, among them an older woman and young children who were dragged under the car.
Scene of Jubilation Turns to Horror
Speaking to a full court, lawyers said approximately a million individuals were present at “an event they believed to be a day of joyfulness” marking Liverpool winning their 20th league title. The celebratory atmosphere swiftly became “horror”, the prosecutor said, when the driver entered the crowd as he attempted to pick up a friend from the parade route.
“Some at the scene thought that what was taking place was a terrorist attack.”
Rampage Halted by Heroic Act
As bodies lay on the ground, the vehicle’s path was stopped by a former soldier, a man identified in court, who climbed into a rear passenger seat and forced the gearstick into park. Even then, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, the court heard.
During questioning, the defendant stated he reacted in a “blind panic” because he feared for his life. Yet, prosecutors contended that the dashcam footage demonstrated Doyle “just lost his temper in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to”. The prosecutor added: “In a rage, he drove into the crowd and in doing so he intended to cause them serious harm.”
Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident
The video indicated Doyle was driving recklessly prior to entering downtown, undertaking cars at speed and running red lights. He disregarded road closures and bypassed other cars, even emergency service vehicles, as he entered the crowds.
Doyle is understood to be facing a jail term of more than 10 years at his sentencing hearing.
