Driver Who Drove Through LFC Victory Parade Was ‘Consumed by Rage’, Court Told.
An ex- Royal Marine was a “man in a rage” when he mowed down scores of LFC fans at a championship celebration, in what many feared was a terrorist attack, a court has heard.
“The video is deeply disturbing.”
Victims of Paul Doyle cried while video from the car’s camera depicted bodies spinning through the air as he accelerated into crowds and shouted: “Get out of the way!”
Doyle, 54, will learn his fate on Tuesday after pleading guilty on the first day of his trial last month to 31 criminal charges against 21 adults and eight children.
‘A Man in a Rage’
Prosecutors warned the court that the video evidence from the defendant’s large people carrier proved to be “truly shocking”. The recording revealed the parent shouting “expletives” as well as “move out of the way” 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 “individual whose anger had completely overpowered him” as he ploughed further into the crowd, accelerating as people collided with his car.
Extent of the Injuries
Overall, the ex-marine injured 134 people in just seven minutes – with over fifty who needed hospital treatment. A six-month-old boy was “remarkably” unharmed even though he was left on the roadway when Doyle’s car hit his pram, the court heard.
One fan, Simon Nash, was seen being launched into the air by the car, suffering a laceration to the back of his head, rib fractures and multiple abrasions.
The defendant was heard screaming “for God’s sake move! Get out my fucking way!” prior to driving deeper 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, lawyers said approximately a million individuals were present at “what they thought would be a day of joyfulness” to celebrate Liverpool winning their 20th league title. 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
With injured people on the street, Doyle’s rampage was stopped by a former soldier, Dan Barr, 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.
During questioning, the defendant claimed he reacted in a “blind panic” because he feared for his life. Yet, the prosecution argued that the dashcam footage showed Doyle “simply lost control in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to”. It was further stated: “Consumed by anger, he targeted the crowd and as he did so his intent was to cause serious injury.”
Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident
The video indicated the driver had been driving dangerously before he reached the city centre, overtaking cars dangerously and running red lights. He ignored road closures and bypassed other cars, even emergency service vehicles, as he approached the packed streets.
Doyle is expected to receive a jail term of more than 10 years at his sentencing hearing.
