Man Who Ploughed Into LFC Victory Parade Described as ‘In a Rage’, Court Told.
A former Royal Marines Commando was a “person consumed by fury” as he drove into dozens of LFC supporters during a victory parade, an incident many initially feared to be a terrorist attack, according to court proceedings.
“The video is deeply disturbing.”
Victims in the incident cried while dashcam footage depicted people being thrown into the air while he sped towards the gathering and shouted: “Fucking hell, move!”
The 54-year-old defendant will learn his fate on Tuesday following his guilty plea on the first day of his trial last month to 31 criminal charges against 29 victims, including eight minors.
‘A Man in a Rage’
Prosecutors warned the court that the video evidence from Doyle’s large people carrier was “extremely graphic”. It showed the father of three yelling “expletives” as well as “fucking move” while he headed straight for a large crowd of supporters, with people frantically dragging children to safety as he blasted the horn.
The court was told that Doyle was a “individual whose anger whose anger had completely taken hold of him” as he ploughed further into the crowd, accelerating while individuals were struck by his vehicle.
Extent of the Injuries
In total, the former Royal Marine hurt 134 people within a mere seven-minute span – with over fifty who needed hospital treatment. An infant was “miraculously” uninjured despite being left splayed on the road after the vehicle struck his stroller, the court heard.
A supporter, Simon Nash, was shown being thrown into the air by the vehicle, suffering a cut to the back of his head, broken ribs and numerous scrapes.
The defendant could be heard shouting “fuck’s sake move! Get out of my path!” prior to driving deeper into panicked fans, among them an older woman and young children who became trapped beneath the vehicle.
Celebration Descends into Chaos
Addressing a packed courtroom, the prosecution said about 1 million people were present at “an event they believed to be a joyous occasion” marking 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.
“Witnesses thought that the events unfolding was a terrorist attack.”
Rampage Halted by Heroic Act
As bodies lay on the ground, the vehicle’s path was brought to a halt by a former soldier, a man identified in court, who entered the back of the car and forced the gearstick into park. Even then, Doyle continued pressing the gas pedal, according to evidence.
During questioning, the defendant stated he acted in a “state of sheer panic” due to a fear for his safety. However, prosecutors contended that the video demonstrated 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 in doing so he intended to cause them serious harm.”
Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident
Footage indicated the driver was driving recklessly before he reached the city centre, overtaking cars dangerously and jumping red lights. He disregarded road closures and bypassed other cars, including an ambulance and police cars, as he approached the packed streets.
Doyle is expected to receive a jail term of more than 10 years at his sentencing hearing.
