Driver That Drove Into LFC Parade Described as ‘In a Rage’, Court Hears.
An ex- Royal Marines Commando acted as a “person consumed by fury” when he mowed down dozens of Liverpool football club fans during a victory parade, in what many feared was a terrorist attack, according to court proceedings.
“The footage is truly shocking.”
Those injured of Paul Doyle cried while dashcam footage showed bodies spinning through the air while he sped towards the gathering while screaming: “Fucking hell, move!”
Doyle, 54, will learn his fate on Tuesday following his guilty plea on the first day of his trial last month to 31 offences against 29 victims, including eight minors.
‘A Man in a Rage’
The prosecution stated those in court that the footage from Doyle’s large people carrier was “truly shocking”. It showed the parent shouting “fucking pricks” and “fucking move” while he headed straight for hundreds of fans, with people frantically dragging children to safety as his car horn blared.
The court was told that Doyle was a “individual whose anger whose anger had completely taken hold of him” as he ploughed further into the crowd, accelerating as people collided with his car.
Scale of the Carnage
In total, the ex-marine injured 134 individuals in just seven minutes – with over fifty who needed hospital treatment. A six-month-old boy was “miraculously” uninjured 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 to the back of his head, rib fractures 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.
Celebration Descends into Chaos
Addressing a packed courtroom, lawyers said approximately a million individuals had attended “an event they believed to be a day of joyfulness” marking Liverpool winning their 20th league title. 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 was a terrorist attack.”
Brave Intervention Stops Driver
As bodies lay on the ground, the vehicle’s path was brought to a halt by an ex-army member, Dan Barr, who entered the back of the car and held the car’s gear selector in “park”. Even then, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, according to evidence.
During questioning, Doyle claimed he acted in a “state of sheer panic” because he feared for his life. Yet, the prosecution argued that the video 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 targeted the crowd and in doing so he intended to cause them serious harm.”
Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident
The video indicated the driver had been driving dangerously before he reached the city centre, undertaking cars at speed and jumping red lights. He disregarded road closures 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 at his sentencing hearing.
