Driver That Drove Through LFC Victory Parade Was ‘Consumed by Rage’, Court Hears.
An ex- Royal Marine was a “man in a rage” when he mowed down dozens of Liverpool football club supporters during a victory parade, in what many feared was a terrorist attack, a court has heard.
“The video is truly shocking.”
Victims in the incident cried while video from the car’s camera depicted bodies spinning through 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 on the first day of his trial last month to 31 offences involving 29 victims, including eight minors.
‘A Man in a Rage’
Prosecutors warned those in court that the footage from Doyle’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy proved to be “extremely graphic”. It showed the father of three shouting “fucking pricks” as well as “move out of the way” as he drove towards a large crowd of supporters, with people frantically dragging children to safety as he blasted the horn.
It was stated in court that Doyle was a “man in a rage had completely overpowered him” as he continued driving into the mass of people, accelerating as people collided with his car.
Scale of the Carnage
Overall, the former Royal Marine injured 134 individuals in just seven minutes – including more than 50 requiring hospital care. A six-month-old boy was “remarkably” unharmed even though he was left on the roadway after the vehicle struck his stroller, the court heard.
A supporter, Simon Nash, was shown being thrown into the air by the vehicle, suffering a cut to the back of his head, broken ribs and multiple abrasions.
Doyle could be heard shouting “for God’s sake move! Get out of my path!” prior to driving deeper into panicked fans, among them an older woman and young children who became trapped beneath the vehicle.
Celebration Descends into Chaos
Addressing a packed courtroom, lawyers said approximately a million individuals had attended “what they thought would be a day of joyfulness” to celebrate Liverpool winning their 20th league title. The celebratory atmosphere swiftly became “horror”, it was said, when the driver entered the crowd 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 brought to a halt by a former soldier, a man identified in court, who climbed into a rear passenger seat and forced the gearstick into park. Despite this, Doyle continued pressing the gas pedal, the court heard.
During questioning, Doyle claimed he reacted in a “state of sheer panic” due to a fear for his safety. However, the prosecution argued that the dashcam footage demonstrated Doyle “just lost his temper in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to”. The prosecutor added: “Consumed by anger, he targeted the crowd and in doing so his intent was to cause serious injury.”
Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident
Footage showed Doyle was driving recklessly prior to entering downtown, undertaking cars at speed and jumping red lights. He ignored traffic diversion measures and weaved around other vehicles, even emergency service vehicles, as he entered the crowds.
Doyle is expected to receive a jail term of over a decade when he is sentenced on Tuesday.
