Man Who Drove Through LFC Victory Parade Described as ‘Consumed by Rage’, Trial Hears.
An ex- Royal Marine acted as a “person consumed by fury” as he drove into scores of Liverpool football club fans during a championship celebration, an incident many initially feared to be a act of terrorism, a court has heard.
“The video is truly shocking.”
Victims in the incident wept as video from the car’s camera depicted people being thrown into the air as he accelerated into crowds and shouted: “Fucking hell, move!”
The 54-year-old defendant will learn his fate on Tuesday after pleading guilty at the start of his trial last month to 31 offences involving 21 adults and eight children.
‘Consumed by Anger’
Prosecutors warned the court that the video evidence from the defendant’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy proved to be “extremely graphic”. The recording revealed the parent yelling “expletives” as well as “move out of the way” as he drove towards a large crowd of supporters, some pulling children out of the way as he blasted the horn.
The court was told that Doyle was 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 hurt 134 individuals in just seven minutes – with over fifty who needed hospital treatment. An infant was “miraculously” uninjured despite being left splayed on the road 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, sustaining a laceration to the back of his head, broken ribs and numerous scrapes.
Doyle could be heard shouting “fuck’s sake move! Get out my fucking way!” before ploughing further into screaming supporters, among them an older woman and young children who became trapped beneath the vehicle.
Scene of Jubilation Turns to Horror
Addressing a packed courtroom, lawyers said approximately a million individuals had attended “what they thought would be a day of joyfulness” to celebrate the football club’s championship win. The celebratory atmosphere swiftly became “terror”, the prosecutor said, as Doyle drove into oncoming fans as he attempted to pick up a friend who had been at the parade.
“Some at the scene thought that the events unfolding constituted a terrorist incident.”
Rampage Halted by Heroic Act
With injured people on the street, 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. Despite this, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, according to evidence.
During questioning, the defendant claimed he acted in a “state of sheer panic” due to a fear for his safety. Yet, the prosecution argued that the dashcam footage showed 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 his intent was to cause serious injury.”
Reckless Behavior Before the Attack
The video showed Doyle had been driving dangerously prior to entering downtown, overtaking cars dangerously and jumping 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 expected to receive a jail term of over a decade at his sentencing hearing.