Man That Drove Through LFC Victory Parade Was ‘In a Rage’, Trial Hears.
A former Royal Marine acted as a “person consumed by fury” as he drove into scores of Liverpool football club supporters at a championship celebration, in what many feared was a act of terrorism, according to court proceedings.
“The video was deeply disturbing.”
Those injured in the incident cried 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 is due to be sentenced on Tuesday following his guilty plea on the first day of his trial last month to 31 offences involving 21 adults and eight children.
‘A Man in a Rage’
Prosecutors stated those in court that the footage from Doyle’s large people carrier proved to be “truly shocking”. It showed the father of three shouting “expletives” as well as “fucking move” while he headed straight for hundreds of fans, some pulling children out of the way as he blasted the horn.
It was stated in court that Doyle was a “individual whose anger whose anger had completely taken hold of him” as he ploughed further into the crowd, accelerating as people collided with his car.
Scale of the Carnage
In total, the ex-marine hurt 134 individuals in just seven minutes – including more than 50 who needed hospital treatment. An infant was “miraculously” uninjured despite being left splayed on the road after the vehicle struck his stroller, according to testimony.
One fan, Simon Nash, was seen being launched into the air by the vehicle, suffering a cut to the back of his head, broken ribs and multiple abrasions.
The defendant could be heard shouting “for God’s sake move! Get out of my path!” prior to driving deeper into panicked fans, including an elderly woman and children who were dragged under the car.
Celebration Descends into Chaos
Addressing a packed courtroom, lawyers said approximately a million individuals had attended “an event they believed to be a day of joyfulness” marking Liverpool winning their 20th league title. Scenes of jubilation turned to “horror”, it was said, when the driver entered the crowd while trying to collect a companion who had been at the parade.
“Some at the scene believed the events unfolding was a terrorist attack.”
Brave Intervention Stops Driver
As bodies lay on the ground, the vehicle’s path was stopped by a former soldier, a man identified in court, who climbed into a rear passenger seat and forced the gearstick into park. Even then, Doyle continued pressing the gas pedal, according to evidence.
In his police interview, Doyle claimed he reacted in a “blind panic” due to a fear for his safety. Yet, prosecutors contended that the video showed the defendant “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.”
Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident
The video indicated Doyle had been driving dangerously prior to entering downtown, undertaking cars at speed and running red lights. He disregarded 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 over a decade at his sentencing hearing.
