Man That Drove Through LFC Parade Was ‘Consumed by Rage’, Court Hears.
A former Royal Marine acted as a “person consumed by fury” as he drove into scores of Liverpool football club fans at a championship celebration, an incident many initially feared to be a terrorist attack, a court has heard.
“The video was profoundly upsetting.”
Those injured in the incident wept as dashcam footage showed bodies spinning through the air as he accelerated into crowds while screaming: “Fucking hell, move!”
Doyle, 54, will learn his fate on Tuesday after pleading guilty on the first day of his trial last month to 31 criminal charges against 29 victims, including eight minors.
‘A Man in a Rage’
Prosecutors stated the court that the footage from Doyle’s large people carrier was “extremely graphic”. It showed the father of three yelling “fucking pricks” as well as “fucking move” as he drove towards a large crowd of supporters, with people frantically dragging children to safety as he blasted the horn.
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 people within a mere seven-minute span – with over fifty requiring hospital care. An infant was “remarkably” unharmed despite being left splayed on the road after the vehicle struck his stroller, the court heard.
A supporter, a man named in court, was seen being launched into the air by the car, suffering a laceration to the back of his head, rib fractures and numerous scrapes.
The defendant was heard screaming “fuck’s sake move! Get out of my path!” before ploughing further into screaming supporters, among them an older woman and young children who were dragged under the car.
Celebration Descends into Chaos
Addressing a packed courtroom, lawyers said approximately a million individuals had attended “what they thought would be a joyous occasion” to celebrate the football club’s championship win. The celebratory atmosphere turned to “horror”, the prosecutor said, as Doyle drove into oncoming fans while trying to collect a companion from the parade route.
“Some at the scene thought that what was taking place was a terrorist attack.”
Brave Intervention Stops Driver
With injured people on the street, the vehicle’s path was brought to a halt by a former soldier, Dan Barr, who entered the back of the car and forced the gearstick into park. Despite this, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, according to evidence.
During questioning, Doyle claimed he acted in a “state of sheer panic” because he feared for his life. Yet, prosecutors contended that the dashcam footage showed the defendant “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.”
Reckless Behavior Before the Attack
Footage indicated Doyle had been driving dangerously before he reached the city centre, undertaking cars at speed and running red lights. He ignored traffic diversion measures and weaved around other vehicles, even emergency service vehicles, as he approached the packed streets.
Doyle is understood to be facing a jail term of over a decade at his sentencing hearing.
