Man Who Drove Through Liverpool FC Victory Parade Described as ‘Consumed by Rage’, Court Hears.
A former Royal Marines Commando was a “man in a rage” as he drove into scores of LFC supporters at a championship celebration, an incident many initially feared to be a terrorist attack, a court has heard.
“The footage was deeply disturbing.”
Victims in the incident wept while video from the car’s camera depicted bodies spinning through the air as he accelerated into crowds while screaming: “Fucking hell, move!”
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 those in court that the footage from Doyle’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy was “truly shocking”. The recording revealed the parent shouting “expletives” and “fucking move” as he drove towards hundreds of fans, with people frantically dragging children to safety 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 continued driving into the mass of people, speeding up as people collided with his car.
Scale of the Carnage
In total, the former Royal Marine injured 134 individuals in just seven minutes – with over fifty who needed hospital treatment. A six-month-old boy was “miraculously” unharmed despite being left splayed on the road after the vehicle struck his stroller, the court heard.
A supporter, a man named in court, was seen being launched into the air by the vehicle, sustaining a laceration to the back of his head, rib fractures and multiple abrasions.
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 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 “what they thought would be a day of joyfulness” to celebrate Liverpool winning their 20th league title. The celebratory atmosphere turned to “terror”, it was said, as Doyle drove into oncoming fans while trying to collect a companion who had been at the parade.
“Some at the scene thought that what was taking place was a terrorist attack.”
Rampage Halted by Heroic Act
With injured people on the street, Doyle’s rampage was brought to a halt by an ex-army member, a man identified in court, who entered the back of the car and forced the gearstick into park. Even then, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, according to evidence.
In his police interview, Doyle stated he reacted in a “state of sheer panic” because he feared for his life. However, the prosecution argued that the dashcam footage demonstrated the defendant “just lost his temper 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 he intended to cause them serious harm.”
Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident
Footage indicated Doyle was driving recklessly prior to entering downtown, undertaking cars at speed and jumping red lights. He disregarded traffic diversion measures and weaved around other vehicles, even emergency service vehicles, as he entered the crowds.
The defendant is understood to be facing a jail term of more than 10 years when he is sentenced on Tuesday.
