Driver Who Ploughed Through Liverpool FC Victory Parade Was ‘Consumed by Rage’, Court Hears.
An ex- Royal Marine acted as a “person consumed by fury” as he mowed down scores of Liverpool football club supporters during a victory parade, an incident many initially feared to be a terrorist attack, a court has heard.
“The video is truly shocking.”
Those injured in the incident cried while video from the car’s camera showed bodies spinning through the air as he accelerated into crowds while screaming: “Get out of the way!”
Doyle, 54, is due to be sentenced on Tuesday after pleading guilty on the first day of his trial last month to 31 criminal charges involving 29 victims, including eight minors.
‘A Man in a Rage’
The prosecution stated those in court that the footage from the defendant’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy was “extremely graphic”. The recording revealed the father of three shouting “expletives” as well as “fucking move” as he drove towards hundreds of fans, with people frantically dragging children to safety 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, speeding up as people collided with his car.
Scale of the Carnage
In total, the ex-marine injured 134 individuals within a mere seven-minute span – with over fifty requiring hospital care. A six-month-old boy was “miraculously” uninjured despite being left splayed on the road after the vehicle struck his stroller, the court heard.
A supporter, Simon Nash, was shown being thrown into the air by the vehicle, sustaining a cut to the back of his head, broken ribs and numerous scrapes.
The defendant could be heard shouting “fuck’s sake move! Get out of my path!” before ploughing further into panicked fans, among them an older woman and young children who were dragged under the car.
Scene of Jubilation Turns to Horror
Speaking to a full court, the prosecution said approximately a million individuals were present at “what they thought would be a day of joyfulness” marking Liverpool winning their 20th league title. Scenes of jubilation swiftly became “terror”, the prosecutor said, as Doyle drove into oncoming fans as he attempted to pick up a friend from the parade route.
“Witnesses believed what was taking place constituted a terrorist incident.”
Brave Intervention Stops Driver
With injured people on the street, the vehicle’s path was stopped by a former soldier, a man identified in court, who entered the back of the car and held the car’s gear selector in “park”. Despite this, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, the court heard.
During questioning, Doyle claimed he reacted in a “blind panic” due to a fear for his safety. Yet, the prosecution argued that the video demonstrated 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 drove into the crowd and as he did so his intent was to cause serious injury.”
Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident
The video showed Doyle was driving recklessly before he reached the city centre, undertaking cars at speed and jumping red lights. He disregarded traffic diversion measures and bypassed other vehicles, 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.