Man Who Drove Through LFC Parade Described as ‘Consumed by Rage’, Trial Hears.
An ex- Royal Marines Commando acted as a “person consumed by fury” as he drove into dozens of Liverpool football club supporters at a championship celebration, in what many feared was a terrorist attack, according to court proceedings.
“The footage is deeply disturbing.”
Victims in the incident cried as dashcam footage depicted bodies spinning through 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 on the first day of his trial last month to 31 offences involving 21 adults and eight children.
‘Consumed by Anger’
The prosecution stated those in court that the footage from the defendant’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy proved to be “truly shocking”. It showed the father of three shouting “expletives” and “move out of the way” as he drove towards hundreds of fans, some pulling children out of the way as his car horn blared.
It was stated in court that Doyle was a “man in a rage whose anger had completely taken hold of him” as he continued driving into the mass of people, speeding up as people collided with his car.
Extent of the Injuries
In total, the former Royal Marine hurt 134 individuals within a mere seven-minute span – including more than 50 who needed hospital treatment. A six-month-old boy was “miraculously” unharmed even though he was left on the roadway after the vehicle struck his stroller, according to testimony.
One fan, Simon Nash, was shown being thrown into the air by the car, sustaining a laceration to the back of his head, broken ribs and numerous scrapes.
The defendant could be heard shouting “for God’s sake move! Get out my fucking way!” before ploughing further into panicked fans, including an elderly woman and children who were dragged under the car.
Celebration Descends into Chaos
Speaking to a full court, lawyers said approximately a million individuals were present at “what they thought would be a day of joyfulness” marking the football club’s championship win. Scenes of jubilation turned to “terror”, the prosecutor said, as Doyle drove into oncoming fans as he attempted to pick up a friend from the parade route.
“Some at the scene believed what was taking place was a terrorist attack.”
Brave Intervention Stops Driver
With injured people on the street, Doyle’s rampage was stopped by an ex-army member, a man identified in court, 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, the defendant stated he acted in a “blind panic” due to a fear for his safety. However, prosecutors contended that the dashcam footage demonstrated Doyle “simply lost control in his determination to reach his destination”. The prosecutor added: “Consumed by anger, he targeted the crowd and in doing so his intent was to cause serious injury.”
Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident
Footage showed Doyle had been driving dangerously before he reached the city centre, overtaking cars dangerously and jumping red lights. He ignored traffic diversion measures and weaved around other cars, including an ambulance and police cars, as he entered the crowds.
The defendant is understood to be facing a prison sentence of over a decade when he is sentenced on Tuesday.
