Man Who Drove Through Liverpool FC Parade Described as ‘In a Rage’, Court Hears.
A former Royal Marines Commando was a “man in a rage” when he mowed down scores of LFC supporters at a championship celebration, an incident many initially feared to be a act of terrorism, according to court proceedings.
“The video is profoundly upsetting.”
Those injured in the incident wept as dashcam footage showed people being thrown into the air while he sped towards the gathering and shouted: “Fucking hell, move!”
The 54-year-old defendant 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 stated the court that the video evidence from the defendant’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy was “extremely graphic”. It showed the parent shouting “fucking pricks” as well as “move out of the way” as he drove towards a large crowd of supporters, 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 as people collided with his car.
Extent of the Injuries
In total, the ex-marine injured 134 individuals within a mere seven-minute span – with over fifty requiring hospital care. An infant was “remarkably” uninjured even though he was left on the roadway when Doyle’s car hit his pram, the court heard.
A supporter, a man named in court, was shown being thrown into the air by the vehicle, suffering a cut to the back of his head, rib fractures and multiple abrasions.
The defendant could be heard shouting “fuck’s sake move! Get out my fucking way!” prior to driving deeper into screaming supporters, including an elderly woman and 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 joyous occasion” to celebrate the football club’s championship win. Scenes of jubilation turned to “terror”, it was said, when the driver entered the crowd as he attempted to pick up a friend from the parade route.
“Some at the scene thought that what was taking place constituted a terrorist incident.”
Brave Intervention Stops Driver
As bodies lay on the ground, the vehicle’s path was brought to a halt by a former soldier, Dan Barr, who climbed into a rear passenger seat and held the car’s gear selector in “park”. Despite this, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, according to evidence.
During questioning, Doyle claimed he acted in a “blind panic” due to a fear for his safety. However, prosecutors contended 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: “In a rage, he drove into the crowd and as he did so he intended to cause them serious harm.”
Reckless Behavior Before the Attack
Footage showed the driver was driving recklessly before he reached the city centre, undertaking cars at speed and jumping red lights. He ignored road closures and bypassed other vehicles, including an ambulance and police cars, as he approached the packed streets.
The defendant is understood to be facing a jail term of over a decade at his sentencing hearing.
