Man That Drove Through Liverpool FC Victory Parade Described as ‘In a Rage’, Trial Hears.
An ex- Royal Marine acted as a “person consumed by fury” as he drove into scores of LFC fans at a victory parade, an incident many initially feared to be a terrorist attack, a court has heard.
“The footage is truly shocking.”
Those injured in the incident cried while dashcam footage showed bodies spinning through the air while he sped towards the gathering while screaming: “Fucking hell, move!”
The 54-year-old defendant is due to be sentenced on Tuesday after pleading guilty on the first day of his trial last month to 31 criminal charges against 21 adults and eight children.
‘A Man in a Rage’
Prosecutors stated those in court that the video evidence from Doyle’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy proved to be “extremely graphic”. The recording revealed the parent yelling “fucking pricks” and “move out of the way” as he drove towards hundreds of fans, with people frantically dragging children to safety as his car horn blared.
The court was told that Doyle acted as a “individual whose anger had completely overpowered him” as he ploughed further into the crowd, speeding up as people collided with his car.
Extent of the Injuries
In total, the former Royal Marine hurt 134 people 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, the court heard.
A supporter, Simon Nash, was shown being thrown into the air by the car, suffering a cut to the back of his head, rib fractures and numerous scrapes.
The defendant was heard screaming “for God’s sake move! Get out of my path!” before ploughing further into panicked fans, among them an older woman and young children who were dragged under the car.
Celebration Descends into Chaos
Speaking to a full court, lawyers said about 1 million people had attended “an event they believed to be a day of joyfulness” marking Liverpool winning their 20th league title. Scenes of jubilation turned to “terror”, the prosecutor said, when the driver entered the crowd as he attempted to pick up a friend from the parade route.
“Some at the scene thought that the events unfolding constituted a terrorist incident.”
Rampage Halted by Heroic Act
As bodies lay on the ground, the vehicle’s path was stopped by a former soldier, a man identified in court, 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, according to evidence.
During questioning, the defendant claimed he reacted in a “state of sheer panic” because he feared for his life. However, prosecutors contended that the video showed 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 drove into the crowd and in doing so his intent was to cause serious injury.”
Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident
The video indicated the driver was driving recklessly before he reached the city centre, overtaking cars dangerously and jumping red lights. He ignored traffic diversion measures and weaved around other cars, even emergency service vehicles, as he entered the crowds.
The defendant is understood to be facing a jail term of more than 10 years when he is sentenced on Tuesday.
