Man That Drove Into LFC Parade Described as ‘In a Rage’, Court Hears.
A former Royal Marine acted as a “man in a rage” when he mowed down dozens of Liverpool football club fans at a victory parade, in what many feared was a act of terrorism, a court has heard.
“The footage is truly shocking.”
Victims of Paul Doyle cried as video from the car’s camera depicted bodies spinning through the air as he accelerated into crowds and shouted: “Get out of the way!”
The 54-year-old defendant is due to be sentenced on Tuesday following his guilty plea on the first day of his trial last month to 31 offences involving 29 victims, including eight minors.
‘Consumed by Anger’
Prosecutors warned those in court that the video evidence from Doyle’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy was “truly shocking”. The recording revealed the father of three shouting “expletives” and “move out of the way” as he drove towards a large crowd of supporters, some pulling children out of the way as his car horn blared.
The court was told that Doyle acted as a “individual whose anger had completely overpowered him” as he continued driving into the mass of people, accelerating while individuals were struck by his vehicle.
Extent of the Injuries
In total, the former Royal Marine injured 134 people in just seven minutes – with over fifty who needed hospital treatment. An infant was “miraculously” uninjured even though he was left on the roadway when Doyle’s car hit his pram, the court heard.
One fan, Simon Nash, was shown being thrown into the air by the car, suffering a laceration to the back of his head, rib fractures and multiple abrasions.
Doyle could be heard shouting “for God’s sake move! Get out my fucking way!” 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, the prosecution said approximately a million individuals had attended “what they thought would be a joyous occasion” marking the football club’s championship win. The celebratory atmosphere swiftly became “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
With injured people on the street, the vehicle’s path was stopped 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.
In his police interview, Doyle stated he acted in a “blind panic” due to a fear for his safety. Yet, the prosecution argued that the dashcam footage showed the defendant “just lost his temper in his determination to reach his destination”. It was further stated: “In a rage, he drove into the crowd and in doing so he intended to cause them serious harm.”
Reckless Behavior Before the Attack
Footage showed Doyle had been driving dangerously before he reached the city centre, undertaking cars at speed and jumping red lights. He ignored 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 at his sentencing hearing.
