Man Who Drove Through Liverpool FC Parade Described as ‘In a Rage’, Trial Hears.
An ex- Royal Marine was a “person consumed by fury” when he mowed down scores of LFC fans at a championship celebration, an incident many initially feared to be a act of terrorism, a court has heard.
“The footage is deeply disturbing.”
Victims in the incident wept as video from the car’s camera depicted people being thrown into the air while he sped towards the gathering while screaming: “Get out of the way!”
Doyle, 54, is due to be sentenced on Tuesday following his guilty plea at the start of his trial last month to 31 offences against 21 adults and eight children.
‘A Man in a Rage’
Prosecutors warned those in court that the footage from the defendant’s large people carrier was “extremely graphic”. It showed the parent shouting “expletives” and “fucking move” while he headed straight for hundreds of fans, some pulling children out of the way as his car horn blared.
The court was told that Doyle acted as a “individual whose anger 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.
Extent of the Injuries
In total, the ex-marine injured 134 people in just seven minutes – with over fifty requiring hospital care. An infant was “miraculously” uninjured even though he was left on the roadway after the vehicle struck his stroller, the court heard.
A supporter, a man named in court, was shown being thrown into the air by the vehicle, suffering a cut on his head, broken ribs and numerous scrapes.
The defendant could be heard shouting “for God’s sake move! Get out my fucking way!” before ploughing further into panicked fans, 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 were present at “what they thought would be a day of joyfulness” marking the football club’s championship win. Scenes of jubilation swiftly became “horror”, it was said, as Doyle drove into oncoming fans as he attempted to pick up a friend who had been at the parade.
“Some at the scene 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 an ex-army member, Dan Barr, who climbed into a rear passenger seat and held the car’s gear selector in “park”. Despite this, Doyle continued pressing the gas pedal, the court heard.
During questioning, the defendant claimed he reacted in a “blind panic” because he feared for his life. Yet, prosecutors contended that the dashcam footage showed Doyle “just lost his temper in his determination to reach his destination”. The prosecutor added: “In a rage, he drove into the crowd and in doing so he intended to cause them serious harm.”
Reckless Behavior Before the Attack
Footage showed Doyle was driving recklessly prior to entering downtown, 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 expected to receive a jail term of more than 10 years at his sentencing hearing.
