Driver Who Drove Into Liverpool FC Victory Parade Was ‘Consumed by Rage’, Court Hears.
An ex- Royal Marine acted as a “person consumed by fury” as he mowed down scores of LFC supporters during a championship celebration, an incident many initially feared to be a terrorist attack, according to court proceedings.
“The video was truly shocking.”
Victims of Paul Doyle wept as dashcam footage depicted people being thrown into the air as he accelerated into crowds and shouted: “Get out of the way!”
The 54-year-old defendant will learn his fate on Tuesday following his guilty plea at the start of his trial last month to 31 criminal charges involving 21 adults and eight children.
‘A Man in a Rage’
The prosecution warned the court that the video evidence from Doyle’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy was “truly shocking”. The recording revealed the parent yelling “expletives” and “fucking move” 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 acted as a “individual whose anger whose anger had completely taken hold of him” as he continued driving into the mass of people, accelerating while individuals were struck by his vehicle.
Extent of the Injuries
Overall, the former Royal Marine hurt 134 people within a mere seven-minute span – including more than 50 who needed hospital treatment. A six-month-old boy was “miraculously” unharmed even though he was left on the roadway when Doyle’s car hit his pram, according to testimony.
One fan, Simon Nash, was shown being thrown into the air by the vehicle, suffering a laceration to the back of his head, rib fractures and multiple abrasions.
The defendant was heard screaming “fuck’s sake move! Get out of my path!” 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
Speaking to a full court, the prosecution said approximately a million individuals had attended “an event they believed to be a day of joyfulness” to celebrate the football club’s championship win. The celebratory atmosphere turned to “horror”, it was said, as Doyle drove into oncoming fans as he attempted to pick up a friend 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 brought to a halt by an ex-army member, a man identified in court, who climbed into a rear passenger seat and held the car’s gear selector in “park”. Even then, Doyle continued pressing the gas pedal, the court heard.
In his police interview, Doyle stated he acted in a “blind panic” because he feared for his life. However, the prosecution argued that the video showed the defendant “just lost his temper in his determination to reach his destination”. The prosecutor added: “In a rage, he targeted the crowd and in doing so his intent was to cause serious injury.”
Reckless Behavior Before the Attack
The video showed the driver had been driving dangerously before he reached the city centre, undertaking cars at speed and jumping red lights. He ignored road closures and weaved around other cars, including an ambulance and police cars, as he approached the packed streets.
Doyle is understood to be facing a jail term of over a decade at his sentencing hearing.
