Man That Ploughed Through LFC Victory Parade Was ‘Consumed by Rage’, Trial Hears.
An ex- Royal Marines Commando was a “person consumed by fury” when he drove into dozens of Liverpool football club fans during a championship celebration, an incident many initially feared to be a terrorist attack, a court has heard.
“The footage is truly shocking.”
Those injured in the incident wept as dashcam footage depicted people being thrown into the air as he accelerated into crowds and shouted: “Get out of the way!”
Doyle, 54, will learn his fate on Tuesday after pleading guilty at the start of his trial last month to 31 offences against 21 adults and eight children.
‘A Man in a Rage’
The prosecution stated the court that the footage from Doyle’s large people carrier was “truly shocking”. It showed the father of three shouting “fucking pricks” and “fucking move” 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 “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.
Scale of the Carnage
In total, the ex-marine injured 134 individuals within a mere seven-minute span – including more than 50 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, a man named in court, was shown being thrown into the air by the car, suffering a laceration on his head, broken ribs and multiple abrasions.
The defendant was heard screaming “fuck’s sake move! Get out of my path!” before ploughing further into panicked fans, including an elderly woman and children who became trapped beneath the vehicle.
Celebration Descends into Chaos
Addressing a packed courtroom, lawyers said approximately a million individuals were present at “an event they believed to 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 while trying to collect a companion who had been at the parade.
“Some at the scene believed what was taking place was a terrorist attack.”
Brave Intervention Stops Driver
As bodies lay on the ground, the vehicle’s path was stopped by a former soldier, Dan Barr, who climbed into a rear passenger seat and forced the gearstick into park. Even then, Doyle continued pressing the gas pedal, the court heard.
In his police interview, the defendant claimed he acted in a “state of sheer panic” because he feared for his life. However, the prosecution argued that the video demonstrated the defendant “just lost his temper in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to”. The prosecutor added: “Consumed by anger, he targeted 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 running red lights. He ignored traffic diversion measures and weaved around other vehicles, including an ambulance and police cars, as he approached the packed streets.
Doyle is understood to be facing a jail term of over a decade at his sentencing hearing.
