Driver That Ploughed Into LFC Victory Parade Was ‘Consumed by Rage’, Court Told.
A former Royal Marine was a “man in a rage” as he drove into scores of LFC supporters at a victory parade, an incident many initially feared to be a terrorist attack, a court has heard.
“The footage was truly shocking.”
Victims in the incident wept while 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 after pleading guilty on the first day of his trial last month to 31 offences involving 29 victims, including eight minors.
‘A Man in a Rage’
The prosecution warned the court that the footage from the defendant’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy proved to be “truly shocking”. It showed the parent yelling “fucking pricks” and “fucking move” while he headed straight for a large crowd of supporters, with people frantically dragging children to safety as his car horn blared.
The court was told that Doyle acted as a “individual whose anger had completely overpowered 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 hurt 134 individuals in just seven minutes – with over fifty who needed hospital treatment. A six-month-old boy was “remarkably” unharmed despite being left splayed on the road 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 “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.
Celebration Descends into Chaos
Addressing a packed courtroom, 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 “terror”, the prosecutor said, when the driver entered the crowd as he attempted to pick up a friend who had been at the parade.
“Witnesses believed the events unfolding constituted a terrorist incident.”
Brave Intervention Stops Driver
With injured people on the street, the vehicle’s path was brought to a halt by an ex-army member, a man identified in court, who climbed into a rear passenger seat and forced the gearstick into park. Despite this, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, according to evidence.
During questioning, Doyle stated he acted in a “state of sheer panic” due to a fear for his safety. However, the prosecution argued that the video showed Doyle “simply lost control in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to”. The prosecutor added: “Consumed by anger, he drove into the crowd and in doing so his intent was to cause serious injury.”
Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident
Footage showed Doyle had been driving dangerously prior to entering downtown, undertaking cars at speed and running red lights. He disregarded road closures and weaved around other vehicles, even emergency service vehicles, as he approached the packed streets.
The defendant is understood to be facing a prison sentence of more than 10 years when he is sentenced on Tuesday.
