Driver Who Drove Through Liverpool FC Victory Parade Was ‘In a Rage’, Court Told.
An ex- Royal Marine was a “man in a rage” when he drove into scores of Liverpool football club fans at a victory parade, an incident many initially feared to be a terrorist attack, a court has heard.
“The video is profoundly upsetting.”
Those injured in the incident wept while dashcam footage depicted people being thrown into the air while he sped towards the gathering and shouted: “Fucking hell, move!”
Doyle, 54, will learn his fate on Tuesday after pleading guilty at the start of his trial last month to 31 criminal charges against 21 adults and eight children.
‘Consumed by Anger’
The prosecution stated the court that the footage from Doyle’s large people carrier was “truly shocking”. The recording revealed the father of three shouting “expletives” and “fucking move” as he drove towards hundreds of fans, with people frantically dragging children to safety 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 ploughed further into the crowd, accelerating as people collided with his car.
Scale of the Carnage
In total, the ex-marine injured 134 people in just seven minutes – with over fifty requiring hospital care. A six-month-old boy was “miraculously” unharmed despite being left splayed on the road when Doyle’s car hit his pram, the court heard.
A supporter, Simon Nash, was shown being thrown into the air by the vehicle, suffering a cut to the back of his head, broken ribs and multiple abrasions.
Doyle was heard screaming “fuck’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
Addressing a packed courtroom, lawyers said approximately a million individuals had attended “what they thought would be a joyous occasion” marking the football club’s championship win. The celebratory atmosphere turned to “horror”, the prosecutor said, when the driver entered the crowd while trying to collect a companion who had been at the parade.
“Witnesses believed the events unfolding constituted a terrorist incident.”
Rampage Halted by Heroic Act
With injured people on the street, Doyle’s rampage was brought to a halt by an ex-army member, Dan Barr, who entered the back of the car and forced the gearstick into park. Despite this, Doyle continued pressing the gas pedal, according to evidence.
During questioning, the defendant claimed he acted in a “state of sheer panic” due to a fear for his safety. Yet, prosecutors contended that the dashcam footage showed the defendant “simply lost control in his determination to reach his destination”. It was further stated: “In a rage, he targeted the crowd and as he did so he intended to cause them serious harm.”
Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident
Footage showed Doyle was driving recklessly prior to entering downtown, undertaking cars at speed and jumping red lights. He disregarded traffic diversion measures and weaved around other cars, even emergency service vehicles, as he entered the crowds.
Doyle is expected to receive a jail term of over a decade at his sentencing hearing.
