Man Who Ploughed Into LFC Victory Parade Was ‘Consumed by Rage’, Court Hears.
An ex- Royal Marine was a “person consumed by fury” as he mowed down dozens of Liverpool football club fans at a victory parade, an incident many initially feared to be a act of terrorism, a court has heard.
“The footage is truly shocking.”
Those injured in the incident wept while video from the car’s camera depicted bodies spinning through the air as he accelerated into crowds while screaming: “Fucking hell, move!”
Doyle, 54, will learn his fate on Tuesday following his guilty plea on the first day of his trial last month to 31 offences against 29 victims, including eight minors.
‘Consumed by Anger’
Prosecutors warned the court that the video evidence from the defendant’s large people carrier proved to be “extremely graphic”. The recording revealed the father of three shouting “fucking pricks” as well as “move out of the way” while he headed straight for hundreds of fans, with people frantically dragging children to safety as his car horn blared.
It was stated in court 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, speeding up while individuals were struck by his vehicle.
Scale of the Carnage
Overall, the former Royal Marine injured 134 individuals within a mere seven-minute span – with over fifty requiring hospital care. A six-month-old boy was “miraculously” unharmed despite being left splayed on the road when Doyle’s car hit his pram, the court heard.
One fan, Simon Nash, was seen being launched into the air by the vehicle, suffering a laceration on his head, broken ribs and multiple abrasions.
Doyle could be heard shouting “fuck’s sake move! Get out my fucking way!” prior to driving deeper into screaming supporters, among them an older woman and young children who became trapped beneath the vehicle.
Celebration Descends into Chaos
Speaking to a full court, the prosecution said about 1 million people had attended “what they thought would be a day of joyfulness” marking Liverpool winning their 20th league title. The celebratory atmosphere swiftly became “terror”, it was said, as Doyle drove into oncoming fans while trying to collect a companion who had been at the parade.
“Witnesses believed what was taking place constituted a terrorist incident.”
Brave Intervention Stops Driver
As bodies lay on the ground, Doyle’s rampage was stopped by a former soldier, a man identified in court, who entered the back of the car and forced the gearstick into park. Despite this, Doyle continued pressing the gas pedal, according to evidence.
In his police interview, Doyle stated he acted in a “blind panic” due to a fear for his safety. 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”. 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 Doyle had been driving dangerously before he reached the city centre, undertaking cars at speed and jumping red lights. He disregarded road closures and bypassed other cars, including an ambulance and police cars, as he approached the packed streets.
Doyle is understood to be facing a jail term of over a decade at his sentencing hearing.
