Man That Drove Into Liverpool FC Parade Described as ‘In a Rage’, Trial Told.
An ex- Royal Marine was a “man in a rage” when he drove into scores of LFC fans at a championship celebration, in what many feared was a act of terrorism, according to court proceedings.
“The footage is deeply disturbing.”
Those injured in the incident cried as dashcam footage showed bodies spinning through the air as he accelerated into crowds while screaming: “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 29 victims, including eight minors.
‘Consumed by Anger’
The prosecution warned the court that the video evidence from Doyle’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy was “extremely graphic”. The recording revealed the father of three shouting “fucking pricks” as well as “fucking move” as he drove towards a large crowd of supporters, with people frantically dragging children to safety as his car horn blared.
It was stated in court that Doyle acted as 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.
Extent of the Injuries
Overall, the ex-marine injured 134 individuals in just seven minutes – with over fifty who needed hospital treatment. An infant was “remarkably” unharmed despite being left splayed on the road when Doyle’s car hit his pram, the court heard.
One fan, a man named in court, was shown being thrown into the air by the car, sustaining a cut on his head, broken ribs and multiple abrasions.
Doyle was heard screaming “for God’s sake move! Get out my fucking way!” before ploughing further into screaming supporters, among them an older woman and young children who became trapped beneath the vehicle.
Celebration Descends into Chaos
Addressing a packed courtroom, lawyers said approximately a million individuals were present at “an event they believed to be a joyous occasion” to celebrate Liverpool winning their 20th league title. The celebratory atmosphere turned to “terror”, the prosecutor said, as Doyle drove into oncoming fans as he attempted to pick up a friend from the parade route.
“Witnesses thought that the events unfolding was a terrorist attack.”
Brave Intervention Stops Driver
With injured people on the street, the vehicle’s path was stopped by a former soldier, Dan Barr, who climbed into a rear passenger seat and forced the gearstick into park. Despite this, Doyle continued pressing the gas pedal, the court heard.
In his police interview, the defendant claimed he reacted in a “blind panic” because he feared for his life. However, prosecutors contended that the dashcam footage demonstrated Doyle “simply lost control in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to”. The prosecutor added: “In a rage, he targeted the crowd and in doing so he intended to cause them serious harm.”
Reckless Behavior Before the Attack
The video indicated Doyle had been driving dangerously before he reached the city centre, overtaking cars dangerously and jumping red lights. He ignored road closures and bypassed other vehicles, 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.
