Man Who Drove Through LFC Victory Parade Described as ‘In a Rage’, Court Hears.
A former Royal Marine acted as a “person consumed by fury” when he drove into scores of LFC supporters during a victory parade, an incident many initially feared to be a terrorist attack, a court has heard.
“The footage is deeply disturbing.”
Those injured in the incident wept as dashcam footage showed people being thrown into the air as he accelerated into crowds while screaming: “Fucking hell, move!”
Doyle, 54, is due to be sentenced on Tuesday after pleading guilty at the start of his trial last month to 31 offences involving 21 adults and eight children.
‘Consumed by Anger’
Prosecutors stated the court that the footage from the defendant’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy proved to be “truly shocking”. The recording revealed the parent shouting “expletives” and “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 “man in a rage whose anger had completely taken hold of him” as he ploughed further into the crowd, speeding up as people collided with his car.
Scale of the Carnage
Overall, the ex-marine hurt 134 people within a mere seven-minute span – with over fifty requiring hospital care. An infant was “remarkably” unharmed even though he was left on the roadway after the vehicle struck his stroller, the court heard.
One fan, Simon Nash, was shown being thrown into the air by the car, sustaining a laceration to the back of his head, rib fractures and numerous scrapes.
Doyle was heard screaming “for God’s sake move! Get out my fucking way!” before ploughing further into panicked fans, including an elderly woman and children who were dragged under the car.
Celebration Descends into Chaos
Speaking to a full court, lawyers said approximately a million individuals were present at “what they thought would be a day of joyfulness” marking Liverpool winning their 20th league title. The celebratory atmosphere turned to “terror”, the prosecutor said, as Doyle drove into oncoming fans while trying to collect a companion from the parade route.
“Some at the scene thought that what was taking place constituted a terrorist incident.”
Rampage Halted by Heroic Act
As bodies lay on the ground, the vehicle’s path was stopped by a former soldier, Dan Barr, who entered the back of the car and held the car’s gear selector in “park”. Despite this, Doyle continued pressing the gas pedal, according to evidence.
In his police interview, the defendant stated he reacted in a “state of sheer panic” due to a fear for his safety. However, prosecutors contended that the dashcam footage demonstrated Doyle “just lost his temper in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to”. The prosecutor added: “In a rage, he targeted the crowd and as he did so his intent was to cause serious injury.”
Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident
The video indicated Doyle was driving recklessly prior to entering downtown, overtaking cars dangerously and jumping red lights. He disregarded road closures and weaved around other cars, even emergency service vehicles, as he approached the packed streets.
The defendant is expected to receive a jail term of more than 10 years when he is sentenced on Tuesday.
