Driver Who Ploughed Through LFC Victory Parade Was ‘In a Rage’, Court Hears.
An ex- Royal Marines Commando acted as a “person consumed by fury” when he mowed down scores of LFC fans at a victory parade, in what many feared was a terrorist attack, a court has heard.
“The footage is deeply disturbing.”
Those injured of Paul Doyle wept as video from the car’s camera depicted people being thrown into the air while he sped towards the gathering while screaming: “Fucking hell, move!”
The 54-year-old defendant will learn his fate on Tuesday following his guilty plea at the start of his trial last month to 31 offences involving 21 adults and eight children.
‘A Man in a Rage’
The prosecution stated those in court that the video evidence from the defendant’s large people carrier proved to be “extremely graphic”. It showed the father of three shouting “expletives” as well as “fucking move” while he headed straight for a large crowd of supporters, with people frantically dragging children to safety as his car horn blared.
The court was told that Doyle acted as a “man in a rage whose anger had completely taken hold of him” as he ploughed further into the crowd, speeding up while individuals were struck by his vehicle.
Extent of the Injuries
Overall, the former Royal Marine hurt 134 individuals in just seven minutes – including more than 50 requiring hospital care. A six-month-old boy was “remarkably” unharmed despite being left splayed on the road when Doyle’s car hit his pram, the court heard.
A supporter, Simon Nash, was seen being launched into the air by the vehicle, sustaining a cut 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!” prior to driving deeper into panicked fans, including an elderly woman and children who became trapped beneath the vehicle.
Celebration Descends into Chaos
Speaking to a full court, lawyers said approximately a million individuals were present at “what they thought would be a day of joyfulness” to celebrate Liverpool winning their 20th league title. Scenes of jubilation 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
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 held the car’s gear selector in “park”. Despite this, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, the court heard.
During questioning, the defendant stated he acted in a “state of sheer panic” due to a fear for his safety. Yet, the prosecution argued that the dashcam footage demonstrated the defendant “simply lost control in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to”. The prosecutor added: “Consumed by anger, he targeted the crowd and as he did so his intent was to cause serious injury.”
Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident
The video showed Doyle was driving recklessly before he reached the city centre, overtaking cars dangerously and running red lights. He disregarded road closures and weaved around other cars, even emergency service vehicles, as he entered the crowds.
Doyle is understood to be facing a prison sentence of more than 10 years when he is sentenced on Tuesday.
