Man Who Ploughed Into LFC Parade Described as ‘Consumed by Rage’, Court Hears.
A former Royal Marines Commando was a “man in a rage” when he drove into dozens of Liverpool football club supporters during a victory parade, an incident many initially feared to be a terrorist attack, a court has heard.
“The video is profoundly upsetting.”
Those injured of Paul Doyle wept while video from the car’s camera depicted bodies spinning through the air while he sped towards the gathering and shouted: “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 those in court that the video evidence from Doyle’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy proved to be “truly shocking”. The recording revealed the parent shouting “fucking pricks” and “move out of the way” while he headed straight for hundreds of fans, some pulling children out of the way as his car horn blared.
The court was told that Doyle acted as a “individual whose anger had completely overpowered him” as he continued driving into the mass of people, accelerating while individuals were struck by his vehicle.
Scale of the Carnage
Overall, the former Royal Marine hurt 134 people in just seven minutes – with over fifty requiring hospital care. A six-month-old boy was “miraculously” uninjured even though he was left on the roadway after the vehicle struck his stroller, the court heard.
One fan, a man named in court, was shown being thrown into the air by the car, suffering a cut to the back of his head, broken ribs and numerous scrapes.
Doyle could be heard shouting “fuck’s sake move! Get out of my path!” before ploughing further into panicked fans, including an elderly woman and children who were dragged under the car.
Scene of Jubilation Turns to Horror
Addressing a packed courtroom, the prosecution said approximately a million individuals had attended “an event they believed to be a joyous occasion” marking Liverpool winning their 20th league title. Scenes of jubilation swiftly became “terror”, the prosecutor said, when the driver entered the crowd as he attempted to pick up a friend from the parade route.
“Some at the scene thought that what was taking place constituted a terrorist incident.”
Rampage Halted by Heroic Act
As bodies lay on the ground, the vehicle’s path was brought to a halt by a former soldier, 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.
In his police interview, Doyle stated he acted in a “blind panic” due to a fear for his safety. Yet, prosecutors contended that the video showed Doyle “simply lost control in his determination to reach his destination”. The prosecutor added: “Consumed by anger, he drove into the crowd and in doing so he intended to cause them serious harm.”
Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident
Footage indicated the driver was driving recklessly before he reached the city centre, overtaking cars dangerously and running red lights. He disregarded traffic diversion measures and weaved around other vehicles, even emergency service vehicles, as he approached the packed streets.
The defendant is understood to be facing a jail term of more than 10 years when he is sentenced on Tuesday.
