Man That Drove Through LFC Victory Parade Described as ‘In a Rage’, Trial Hears.
A former Royal Marines Commando was a “person consumed by fury” when he mowed down scores of Liverpool football club fans at a victory parade, an incident many initially feared to be a terrorist attack, according to court proceedings.
“The footage was truly shocking.”
Those injured in the incident cried as video from the car’s camera showed people being thrown into the air while he sped towards the gathering and shouted: “Fucking hell, move!”
The 54-year-old defendant is due to be sentenced on Tuesday following his guilty plea on the first day of his trial last month to 31 criminal charges against 29 victims, including eight minors.
‘Consumed by Anger’
Prosecutors stated those in court that the footage from Doyle’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy proved to be “truly shocking”. It showed the father of three yelling “expletives” and “fucking move” as he drove towards a large crowd of supporters, some pulling children out of the way as he blasted the horn.
It was stated in court that Doyle was a “man in a rage whose anger had completely taken hold of him” as he ploughed further into the crowd, accelerating while individuals were struck by his vehicle.
Scale of the Carnage
Overall, the ex-marine injured 134 individuals within a mere seven-minute span – with over fifty who needed hospital treatment. A six-month-old boy was “remarkably” uninjured even though he was left on the roadway after the vehicle struck his stroller, the court heard.
A supporter, Simon Nash, was shown being thrown into the air by the car, suffering a cut to the back of his head, broken ribs and numerous scrapes.
Doyle was heard screaming “for God’s sake move! Get out of my path!” before ploughing further into panicked fans, including an elderly woman and children who became trapped beneath the vehicle.
Celebration Descends into Chaos
Speaking to a full court, lawyers said approximately a million individuals were present at “what they thought would be a joyous occasion” marking the football club’s championship win. Scenes of jubilation turned to “terror”, it was said, when the driver entered the crowd while trying to collect a companion from the parade route.
“Some at the scene believed what was taking place constituted a terrorist incident.”
Rampage Halted by Heroic Act
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, according to evidence.
During questioning, Doyle stated he acted in a “state of sheer panic” due to a fear for his safety. However, prosecutors contended that the video showed Doyle “simply lost control in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to”. It was further stated: “In a rage, he targeted the crowd and in doing so he intended to cause them serious harm.”
Reckless Behavior Before the Attack
The video showed Doyle had been driving dangerously before he reached the city centre, undertaking cars at speed and running red lights. He disregarded road closures and weaved around other vehicles, even emergency service vehicles, as he approached the packed streets.
The defendant is understood to be facing a jail term of over a decade at his sentencing hearing.
