Man Who Drove Into LFC Victory Parade Was ‘Consumed by Rage’, Trial Hears.
An ex- Royal Marine acted as a “man in a rage” as he mowed down scores of Liverpool football club supporters at a championship celebration, in what many feared was a terrorist attack, a court has heard.
“The video was truly shocking.”
Victims of Paul Doyle wept as video from the car’s camera depicted bodies spinning through the air while he sped towards the gathering while screaming: “Fucking hell, move!”
Doyle, 54, will learn his fate on Tuesday following his guilty plea on the first day of his trial last month to 31 offences involving 21 adults and eight children.
‘Consumed by Anger’
The prosecution stated those in court that the footage from Doyle’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy proved to be “extremely graphic”. It showed the father of three shouting “expletives” as well as “fucking move” while he headed straight for a large crowd of supporters, with people frantically dragging children to safety as he blasted the horn.
The court was told that Doyle was a “individual whose anger 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 in just seven minutes – including more than 50 requiring hospital care. An infant was “remarkably” uninjured even though he was left on the roadway after the vehicle struck his stroller, according to testimony.
A supporter, a man named in court, was seen being launched into the air by the vehicle, suffering a cut to the back of his head, rib fractures and numerous scrapes.
Doyle could be heard shouting “fuck’s sake move! Get out my fucking way!” before ploughing further into panicked fans, including an elderly woman and children who became trapped beneath the vehicle.
Scene of Jubilation Turns to Horror
Speaking to a full court, lawyers said about 1 million people had attended “what they thought would be a day of joyfulness” marking Liverpool winning their 20th league title. The celebratory atmosphere swiftly became “horror”, 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 was a terrorist attack.”
Brave Intervention Stops Driver
As bodies lay on the ground, the vehicle’s path was stopped by an ex-army member, Dan Barr, who entered the back of the car and held the car’s gear selector in “park”. Even then, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, the court heard.
In his police interview, Doyle claimed he acted in a “blind panic” due to a fear for his safety. However, prosecutors contended that the video demonstrated Doyle “simply lost control in his determination to reach his destination”. The prosecutor added: “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
Footage indicated the driver had been driving dangerously before he reached the city centre, undertaking cars at speed and running red lights. He ignored road closures and weaved around other cars, including an ambulance and police cars, as he entered the crowds.
The defendant is expected to receive a prison sentence of more than 10 years when he is sentenced on Tuesday.
