Man That Drove Through LFC Parade Was ‘In a Rage’, Court Hears.
A former Royal Marine acted as a “person consumed by fury” when he mowed down scores of Liverpool football club fans during a championship celebration, in what many feared was a terrorist attack, a court has heard.
“The footage was profoundly upsetting.”
Victims in the incident cried while dashcam footage 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 on the first day of his trial last month to 31 criminal charges involving 21 adults and eight children.
‘Consumed by Anger’
The prosecution warned the court that the footage from Doyle’s large people carrier proved to be “extremely graphic”. It showed the father of three yelling “expletives” and “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.
The court was told that Doyle acted as a “individual whose anger whose anger had completely taken hold of him” as he ploughed further into the crowd, accelerating as people collided with his car.
Scale of the Carnage
In total, the ex-marine hurt 134 individuals within a mere seven-minute span – including more than 50 who needed hospital treatment. A six-month-old boy was “remarkably” unharmed despite being left splayed on the road when Doyle’s car hit his pram, the court heard.
One fan, Simon Nash, was shown being thrown into the air by the vehicle, sustaining a laceration to the back of his head, rib fractures and multiple abrasions.
The defendant was heard screaming “fuck’s sake move! Get out my fucking way!” before ploughing further into panicked fans, including an elderly woman and children who became trapped beneath the vehicle.
Scene of Jubilation Turns to Horror
Addressing a packed courtroom, the prosecution said about 1 million people had attended “what they thought would be a day of joyfulness” marking the football club’s championship win. The celebratory atmosphere turned to “horror”, it was said, as Doyle drove into oncoming fans while trying to collect a companion who had been at the parade.
“Some at the scene believed the events unfolding constituted a terrorist incident.”
Brave Intervention Stops Driver
As bodies lay on the ground, the vehicle’s path was stopped 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 kept his foot on the accelerator, the court heard.
In his police interview, Doyle claimed he reacted in a “state of sheer panic” because he feared for his life. Yet, the prosecution argued that the dashcam footage demonstrated Doyle “simply lost control in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to”. The prosecutor added: “In a rage, he targeted the crowd and as he did so his intent was to cause serious injury.”
Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident
Footage indicated the driver had been driving dangerously prior to entering downtown, overtaking cars dangerously and jumping red lights. He ignored road closures and weaved around other cars, including an ambulance and police cars, as he entered the crowds.
The defendant is expected to receive a jail term of more than 10 years when he is sentenced on Tuesday.
