Driver That Drove Through Liverpool FC Parade Was ‘In a Rage’, Court Told.
An ex- Royal Marine was a “man in a rage” as he drove into scores of LFC fans at a championship celebration, in what many feared was a act of terrorism, a court has heard.
“The footage is profoundly upsetting.”
Those injured of Paul Doyle wept while dashcam footage showed people being thrown into the air while he sped towards the gathering and shouted: “Get out of the way!”
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 offences against 29 victims, including eight minors.
‘Consumed by Anger’
Prosecutors warned those in court that the footage from the defendant’s large people carrier was “truly shocking”. 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 he blasted the horn.
It was stated in court that Doyle acted as a “man in a rage whose anger had completely taken hold of him” as he continued driving into the mass of people, speeding up while individuals were struck by his vehicle.
Scale of the Carnage
Overall, the ex-marine injured 134 individuals within a mere seven-minute span – with over fifty who needed hospital treatment. An infant was “miraculously” unharmed even though he was left on the roadway when Doyle’s car hit his pram, according to testimony.
One fan, a man named in court, was shown being thrown into the air by the car, suffering a laceration on his head, broken ribs and numerous scrapes.
Doyle was heard screaming “for God’s sake move! Get out of my path!” prior to driving deeper into panicked fans, including an elderly woman and children who were dragged under the car.
Celebration Descends into Chaos
Addressing a packed courtroom, lawyers said approximately a million individuals had attended “what they thought would be a joyous occasion” marking the football club’s championship win. The celebratory atmosphere swiftly became “horror”, it was said, as Doyle drove into oncoming fans as he attempted to pick up a friend who had been at the parade.
“Some at the scene believed what was taking place was a terrorist attack.”
Rampage Halted by Heroic Act
With injured people on the street, the vehicle’s path was stopped by an ex-army member, Dan Barr, who climbed into a rear passenger seat and held the car’s gear selector in “park”. Even then, 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 dashcam footage 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 as he did so he intended to cause them serious harm.”
Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident
The video indicated the driver had been driving dangerously before he reached the city centre, overtaking cars dangerously and running red lights. He disregarded road closures and bypassed other cars, including an ambulance and police cars, as he approached the packed streets.
The defendant is expected to receive a prison sentence of over a decade when he is sentenced on Tuesday.
