🔗 Share this article

An ex- Royal Marine was a “man in a rage” when he drove into scores of LFC supporters at a victory parade, in what many feared was a act of terrorism, according to court proceedings.

“The footage was profoundly upsetting.”

Victims of Paul Doyle cried as video from the car’s camera depicted bodies spinning through the air as he accelerated into crowds and shouted: “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 criminal charges involving 21 adults and eight children.

‘A Man in a Rage’

The prosecution warned those in court that the footage from the defendant’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy was “truly shocking”. It showed the parent yelling “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 had completely overpowered him” as he ploughed further into the crowd, accelerating as people collided with his car.

Scale of the Carnage

In total, the former Royal Marine injured 134 people within a mere seven-minute span – with over fifty requiring hospital care. A six-month-old boy was “remarkably” unharmed even though he was left on the roadway when Doyle’s car hit his pram, according to testimony.

One fan, Simon Nash, was seen being launched into the air by the vehicle, suffering a laceration to the back of his head, broken ribs and multiple abrasions.

Doyle could be heard shouting “fuck’s sake move! Get out my fucking way!” before ploughing further into screaming supporters, including an elderly woman and children who were dragged under the car.

Celebration Descends into Chaos

Speaking to a full court, the prosecution said about 1 million people were present at “an event they believed to be a joyous occasion” to celebrate the football club’s championship win. Scenes of jubilation 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 believed what was taking place constituted a terrorist incident.”

Brave Intervention Stops Driver

With injured people on the street, the vehicle’s path was stopped by a former soldier, a man identified in court, who climbed into a rear passenger seat and forced the gearstick into park. Even then, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, the court heard.

In his police interview, the defendant stated he reacted in a “state of sheer panic” due to a fear for his safety. 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: “In a rage, he targeted the crowd and in doing so he intended to cause them serious harm.”

Reckless Behavior Before the Attack

Footage showed the driver had been driving dangerously prior to entering downtown, overtaking cars dangerously and jumping red lights. He ignored traffic diversion measures and weaved around other cars, including an ambulance and police cars, as he approached the packed streets.

Doyle is understood to be facing a jail term of more than 10 years at his sentencing hearing.