Man Who Ploughed Through Liverpool FC Parade Was ‘Consumed by Rage’, Court Told.
An ex- Royal Marine was a “person consumed by fury” as he mowed down dozens of Liverpool football club supporters at a championship celebration, an incident many initially feared to be a terrorist attack, a court has heard.
“The video is deeply disturbing.”
Victims of Paul Doyle wept as dashcam footage depicted 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 criminal charges involving 21 adults and eight children.
‘Consumed by Anger’
The prosecution warned the court that the video evidence from the defendant’s large people carrier proved to be “truly shocking”. The recording revealed the father of three yelling “fucking pricks” 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 “man in a rage had completely overpowered him” as he ploughed further into the crowd, speeding up as people collided with his car.
Scale of the Carnage
In total, the ex-marine hurt 134 individuals in just seven minutes – with over fifty requiring hospital care. An infant was “miraculously” uninjured 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.
Doyle could be heard shouting “fuck’s sake move! Get out of my path!” prior to driving deeper 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 about 1 million people were present at “an event they believed to be a day of joyfulness” marking the football club’s championship win. The celebratory atmosphere swiftly became “terror”, the prosecutor said, as Doyle drove into oncoming fans as he attempted to pick up a friend from the parade route.
“Witnesses thought that the events unfolding was a terrorist attack.”
Brave Intervention Stops Driver
With injured people on the street, Doyle’s rampage was brought to a halt by an ex-army member, Dan Barr, 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 demonstrated Doyle “just lost his temper in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to”. It was further stated: “In a rage, he targeted the crowd and as he did so he intended to cause them serious harm.”
Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident
The video indicated Doyle was driving recklessly prior to entering downtown, overtaking cars dangerously and jumping red lights. He ignored road closures and bypassed other cars, including an ambulance and police cars, as he approached the packed streets.
Doyle is expected to receive a jail term of over a decade when he is sentenced on Tuesday.