Man Who Drove Through LFC Victory Parade Described as ‘In a Rage’, Trial Told.
An ex- Royal Marine was a “man in a rage” as he drove into scores of LFC supporters during a championship celebration, in what many feared was a act of terrorism, a court has heard.
“The footage is profoundly upsetting.”
Victims of Paul Doyle cried while dashcam footage depicted bodies spinning through the air while he sped towards the gathering and shouted: “Get out of the way!”
Doyle, 54, is due to be sentenced on Tuesday following his guilty plea at the start of his trial last month to 31 criminal charges against 29 victims, including eight minors.
‘Consumed by Anger’
The prosecution warned the court that the footage from the defendant’s large people carrier was “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 his car horn blared.
It was stated in court that Doyle was a “individual whose anger had completely overpowered him” as he ploughed further into the crowd, speeding up as people collided with his car.
Scale of the Carnage
In total, the ex-marine hurt 134 individuals in just seven minutes – with over fifty requiring hospital care. A six-month-old boy was “miraculously” unharmed even though he was left on the roadway when Doyle’s car hit his pram, according to testimony.
A supporter, a man named in court, was shown being thrown into the air by the car, suffering a laceration on his head, rib fractures and numerous scrapes.
The defendant could be heard shouting “fuck’s sake move! Get out of my path!” before ploughing further into screaming supporters, including an elderly woman and children who were dragged under the car.
Celebration Descends into Chaos
Addressing a packed courtroom, the prosecution said about 1 million people had attended “what they thought would be a day of joyfulness” marking Liverpool winning their 20th league title. Scenes of jubilation 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 what was taking place was a terrorist attack.”
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 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” due to a fear for his safety. 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: “In a rage, he drove into the crowd and in doing so his intent was to cause serious injury.”
Reckless Behavior Before the Attack
The video showed the driver was driving recklessly before he reached the city centre, overtaking cars dangerously and jumping red lights. He disregarded road closures and bypassed other vehicles, including an ambulance and police cars, as he approached the packed streets.
Doyle is understood to be facing a prison sentence of more than 10 years when he is sentenced on Tuesday.
