Man Who Drove Into Liverpool FC Victory Parade Was ‘In a Rage’, Trial Told.
A former Royal Marine was a “man in a rage” when he drove into dozens of LFC fans at a victory parade, an incident many initially feared to be a act of terrorism, a court has heard.
“The footage was truly shocking.”
Victims of Paul Doyle wept while dashcam footage showed bodies spinning through the air while he sped towards the gathering while screaming: “Get out of the way!”
Doyle, 54, will learn his fate on Tuesday following his guilty plea at the start of his trial last month to 31 criminal charges against 21 adults and eight children.
‘A Man in a Rage’
Prosecutors warned the court that the footage from Doyle’s large people carrier proved to be “extremely graphic”. The recording revealed the parent yelling “fucking pricks” and “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 whose anger had completely taken hold of him” as he ploughed further into the crowd, accelerating while individuals were struck by his vehicle.
Scale of the Carnage
In total, the former Royal Marine injured 134 individuals within a mere seven-minute span – including more than 50 requiring hospital care. A six-month-old boy was “remarkably” uninjured even though he was left on the roadway when Doyle’s car hit his pram, according to testimony.
One fan, a man named in court, was shown being thrown into the air by the vehicle, sustaining a laceration on his head, broken ribs and numerous scrapes.
The defendant was heard screaming “fuck’s sake move! Get out my fucking way!” 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, the prosecution said about 1 million people were present at “what they thought would be a joyous occasion” marking Liverpool winning their 20th league title. The celebratory atmosphere turned to “horror”, 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 constituted a terrorist incident.”
Brave Intervention Stops Driver
With injured people on the street, the vehicle’s path was brought to a halt 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”. Despite this, Doyle continued pressing the gas pedal, according to evidence.
In his police interview, the defendant claimed he reacted in a “blind panic” because he feared for his life. Yet, prosecutors contended that the video demonstrated Doyle “simply lost control in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to”. The prosecutor added: “In a rage, he drove into the crowd and in doing so he intended to cause them serious harm.”
Reckless Behavior Before the Attack
The video showed Doyle had been driving dangerously before he reached the city centre, overtaking cars dangerously and running red lights. He ignored road closures and weaved around other vehicles, even emergency service vehicles, as he entered the crowds.
Doyle is expected to receive a jail term of more than 10 years at his sentencing hearing.
