Man That Drove Into Liverpool FC Parade Was ‘Consumed by Rage’, Court Told.
An ex- Royal Marine was a “man in a rage” as he mowed down dozens of LFC fans at a championship celebration, an incident many initially feared to be a terrorist attack, according to court proceedings.
“The footage was profoundly upsetting.”
Victims of Paul Doyle wept while video from the car’s camera showed bodies spinning through the air while he sped towards the gathering while screaming: “Get out of the way!”
The 54-year-old defendant will learn his fate on Tuesday following his guilty plea on the first day of his trial last month to 31 criminal charges involving 21 adults and eight children.
‘Consumed by Anger’
The prosecution stated the court that the video evidence from Doyle’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy was “extremely graphic”. It showed the father of three yelling “fucking pricks” 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.
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, accelerating as people collided with his car.
Scale of the Carnage
Overall, the ex-marine injured 134 individuals in just seven minutes – with over fifty who needed hospital treatment. A six-month-old boy was “remarkably” uninjured 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, suffering a laceration to the back of his head, rib fractures and multiple abrasions.
The defendant could be heard shouting “fuck’s sake move! Get out of my path!” prior to driving deeper into screaming supporters, among them an older woman and young children who became trapped beneath the vehicle.
Scene of Jubilation Turns to Horror
Speaking to a full court, lawyers said about 1 million people had attended “an event they believed to be a day of joyfulness” to celebrate Liverpool winning their 20th league title. Scenes of jubilation swiftly became “horror”, the prosecutor said, as Doyle drove into oncoming fans as he attempted to pick up a friend from the parade route.
“Witnesses thought that what was taking place was a terrorist attack.”
Rampage Halted by Heroic Act
With injured people on the street, Doyle’s rampage was stopped by a former soldier, a man identified in court, who climbed into a rear passenger seat and held the car’s gear selector in “park”. Despite this, Doyle continued pressing the gas pedal, the court heard.
During questioning, Doyle stated he acted in a “blind panic” because he feared for his life. However, 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”. It was further stated: “Consumed by anger, he drove into the crowd and in doing so he intended to cause them serious harm.”
Reckless Behavior Before the Attack
Footage showed the driver had been driving dangerously prior to entering downtown, undertaking cars at speed and running red lights. He disregarded road closures and weaved around other cars, including an ambulance and police cars, as he entered the crowds.
The defendant is understood to be facing a jail term of more than 10 years at his sentencing hearing.