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An ex- Royal Marine was a “man in a rage” when he drove into dozens of LFC fans at a victory parade, an incident many initially feared to be a act of terrorism, according to court proceedings.

“The footage is profoundly upsetting.”

Those injured of Paul Doyle cried while video from the car’s camera depicted bodies spinning through the air while he sped towards the gathering and shouted: “Fucking hell, move!”

Doyle, 54, is due to be sentenced on Tuesday following his guilty plea at the start 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 the defendant’s large people carrier proved to be “extremely graphic”. It showed 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.

The court was told that Doyle acted as a “individual whose anger had completely overpowered him” as he ploughed further into the crowd, accelerating while individuals were struck by his vehicle.

Extent of the Injuries

Overall, the former Royal Marine injured 134 people in just seven minutes – with over fifty requiring hospital care. An infant was “remarkably” unharmed even though he was left on the roadway when Doyle’s car hit his pram, the court heard.

A supporter, Simon Nash, was shown being thrown into the air by the vehicle, sustaining a cut to the back of his head, broken ribs and multiple abrasions.

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 became trapped beneath the vehicle.

Scene of Jubilation Turns to Horror

Speaking to a full court, lawyers said approximately a million individuals had attended “what they thought would be a joyous occasion” to celebrate Liverpool winning their 20th league title. Scenes of jubilation turned to “horror”, 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 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 held the car’s gear selector in “park”. Despite this, Doyle continued pressing the gas pedal, the court heard.

In his police interview, the defendant claimed he acted in a “state of sheer panic” due to a fear for his safety. However, prosecutors contended that the dashcam footage 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 drove into the crowd and as he did so his intent was to cause serious injury.”

Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident

The video showed the driver had been driving dangerously prior to entering downtown, overtaking cars dangerously and running red lights. He ignored traffic diversion measures and weaved around other vehicles, including an ambulance and police cars, as he entered the crowds.

The defendant is expected to receive a prison sentence of over a decade at his sentencing hearing.