Man That Ploughed Through LFC Parade Was ‘In a Rage’, Court Told.
An ex- Royal Marine was a “man in a rage” as he mowed down dozens of LFC supporters at a victory parade, an incident many initially feared to be a act of terrorism, a court has heard.
“The video was truly shocking.”
Victims in the incident cried while dashcam footage showed people being thrown into the air as he accelerated into crowds while screaming: “Get out of the way!”
Doyle, 54, will learn his fate on Tuesday following his guilty plea at the start of his trial last month to 31 offences involving 29 victims, including eight minors.
‘Consumed by Anger’
The prosecution stated the court that the video evidence from Doyle’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy was “truly shocking”. It showed the parent yelling “fucking pricks” and “fucking move” as he drove towards hundreds of fans, with people frantically dragging children to safety as his car horn blared.
It was stated in court that Doyle was a “man in a rage 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 ex-marine hurt 134 people within a mere seven-minute span – with over fifty who needed hospital treatment. An infant was “remarkably” unharmed even though he was left on the roadway after the vehicle struck his stroller, the court heard.
One fan, Simon Nash, was shown being thrown into the air by the vehicle, suffering a laceration to the back of his head, rib fractures and multiple abrasions.
The defendant was heard screaming “for God’s sake move! Get out of my path!” prior to driving deeper into screaming supporters, including an elderly woman and children who were dragged under the car.
Scene of Jubilation Turns to Horror
Addressing a packed courtroom, the prosecution said about 1 million people had attended “what they thought would be a day of joyfulness” to celebrate Liverpool winning their 20th league title. Scenes of jubilation turned to “horror”, it was said, as Doyle drove into oncoming fans while trying to collect a companion who had been at the parade.
“Witnesses thought that what was taking place constituted a terrorist incident.”
Rampage Halted by Heroic Act
With injured people on the street, the vehicle’s path was brought to a halt by a former soldier, Dan Barr, who entered the back of the car and held the car’s gear selector in “park”. Despite this, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, according to evidence.
In his police interview, the defendant claimed he acted in a “blind panic” due to a fear for his safety. Yet, prosecutors contended that the video 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.”
Reckless Behavior Before the Attack
Footage showed the driver was driving recklessly prior to entering downtown, undertaking cars at speed and jumping red lights. He disregarded traffic diversion measures and bypassed other cars, even emergency service vehicles, as he entered the crowds.
The defendant is expected to receive a jail term of more than 10 years when he is sentenced on Tuesday.
