Man That Ploughed Through LFC Victory Parade Was ‘Consumed by Rage’, Court Told.

A former Royal Marine acted as a “man in a rage” when he drove into scores of Liverpool football club supporters at a championship celebration, in what many feared was a act of terrorism, a court has heard.

Those injured of Paul Doyle wept while dashcam footage depicted bodies spinning through the air while he sped towards the gathering while screaming: “Get out of the way!”

Doyle, 54, is due to be sentenced on Tuesday after pleading guilty 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 large people carrier proved to be “truly shocking”. It showed the parent shouting “expletives” 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.

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, speeding up while individuals were struck by his vehicle.

Scale of the Carnage

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 “remarkably” unharmed even though he was left on the roadway after the vehicle struck his stroller, according to testimony.

A supporter, a man named in court, was seen being launched into the air by the vehicle, suffering a cut on his head, broken ribs and numerous scrapes.

The defendant was heard screaming “for God’s sake move! Get out of my path!” prior to driving deeper into screaming supporters, 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 had attended “what they thought would be a joyous occasion” marking Liverpool winning their 20th league title. The celebratory atmosphere swiftly became “horror”, it was said, when the driver entered the crowd as he attempted to pick up a friend from the parade route.

Brave Intervention Stops Driver

As bodies lay on the ground, Doyle’s rampage 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”. Despite this, Doyle continued pressing the gas pedal, the court heard.

In his police interview, the defendant claimed he acted in a “blind panic” due to a fear for his safety. Yet, prosecutors contended that the dashcam footage showed the defendant “simply lost control in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to”. It was further stated: “Consumed by anger, he drove into the crowd and as he did so he intended to cause them serious harm.”

Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident

Footage showed the driver was driving recklessly prior to entering downtown, overtaking cars dangerously and running red lights. He disregarded road closures and bypassed other vehicles, including an ambulance and police cars, as he approached the packed streets.

Doyle is expected to receive a jail term of more than 10 years at his sentencing hearing.