Man That Drove Through Liverpool FC Victory Parade Described as ‘Consumed by Rage’, Court Hears.
A former Royal Marine acted as a “man in a rage” when he drove into scores of Liverpool football club supporters during a victory parade, an incident many initially feared to be a act of terrorism, a court has heard.
“The footage was deeply disturbing.”
Victims of Paul Doyle wept as dashcam footage depicted people being thrown into the air as he accelerated into crowds and shouted: “Fucking hell, move!”
The 54-year-old defendant is due to be sentenced on Tuesday after pleading guilty on the first day of his trial last month to 31 criminal charges involving 21 adults and eight children.
‘A Man in a Rage’
Prosecutors warned the court that the footage from the defendant’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy was “extremely graphic”. The recording revealed the father of three yelling “expletives” and “fucking move” as he drove towards a large crowd of supporters, with people frantically dragging children to safety as he blasted the horn.
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 as people collided with his car.
Scale of the Carnage
In total, the former Royal Marine injured 134 people within a mere seven-minute span – including more than 50 who needed hospital treatment. An infant was “remarkably” uninjured despite being left splayed on the road after the vehicle struck his stroller, according to testimony.
A supporter, Simon Nash, was shown being thrown into the air by the vehicle, suffering a laceration on his head, broken ribs and multiple abrasions.
Doyle was heard screaming “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
Addressing a packed courtroom, lawyers said about 1 million people had attended “what they thought would be a day of joyfulness” to celebrate Liverpool winning their 20th league title. Scenes of jubilation turned to “horror”, the prosecutor said, as Doyle drove into oncoming fans while trying to collect a companion from the parade route.
“Some at the scene believed the events unfolding was a terrorist attack.”
Rampage Halted by Heroic Act
As bodies lay on the ground, the vehicle’s path was stopped by an ex-army member, a man identified in court, who entered the back of the car and held the car’s gear selector in “park”. Even then, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, according to evidence.
During questioning, Doyle claimed he acted in a “state of sheer panic” due to a fear for his safety. However, the prosecution argued that the dashcam footage showed Doyle “just lost his temper in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to”. It was further stated: “Consumed by anger, he targeted the crowd and in doing so he intended to cause them serious harm.”
Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident
Footage showed Doyle had been driving dangerously prior to entering downtown, undertaking cars at speed and running red lights. He ignored road closures and bypassed other cars, even emergency service vehicles, as he entered the crowds.
Doyle is expected to receive a prison sentence of over a decade when he is sentenced on Tuesday.
