Man Who Drove Into Liverpool FC Parade Was ‘In a Rage’, Trial Told.
An ex- Royal Marines Commando acted as a “man in a rage” as he mowed down dozens of LFC supporters at a championship celebration, an incident many initially feared to be a act of terrorism, a court has heard.
“The video was truly shocking.”
Those injured in the incident wept while dashcam footage depicted people being thrown into the air while he sped towards the gathering and shouted: “Get out of the way!”
The 54-year-old defendant is due to be sentenced on Tuesday following his guilty plea at the start of his trial last month to 31 offences against 21 adults and eight children.
‘Consumed by Anger’
The prosecution stated the court that the footage from the defendant’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy proved to be “extremely graphic”. It showed the parent shouting “expletives” as well as “move out of the way” while he headed straight for a large crowd of supporters, with people frantically dragging children to safety as he blasted the horn.
It was stated in court that Doyle acted as a “individual whose anger whose anger had completely taken hold of him” as he continued driving into the mass of people, accelerating as people collided with his car.
Scale of the Carnage
In total, the former Royal Marine injured 134 individuals in just seven minutes – with over fifty requiring hospital care. A six-month-old boy was “miraculously” uninjured even though he was left on the roadway after the vehicle struck his stroller, according to testimony.
One fan, Simon Nash, was seen being launched into the air by the car, sustaining a laceration to the back of his head, broken ribs and numerous scrapes.
Doyle was heard screaming “for God’s sake move! Get out of my path!” prior to driving deeper into panicked fans, among them an older woman and young children who became trapped beneath the vehicle.
Celebration Descends into Chaos
Speaking to a full court, 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, when the driver entered the crowd as he attempted to pick up a friend who had been at the parade.
“Some at the scene thought that what was taking place was a terrorist attack.”
Brave Intervention Stops Driver
As bodies lay on the ground, Doyle’s rampage 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”. Despite this, Doyle continued pressing the gas pedal, according to evidence.
During questioning, Doyle stated he reacted in a “blind panic” because he feared for his life. Yet, the prosecution argued that the video showed Doyle “just lost his temper in his determination to reach his destination”. The prosecutor added: “In a rage, he targeted the crowd and as he did so he intended to cause them serious harm.”
Reckless Behavior Before the Attack
The video indicated Doyle 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 vehicles, even emergency service vehicles, as he approached the packed streets.
The defendant is understood to be facing a jail term of more than 10 years when he is sentenced on Tuesday.
