Driver Who Drove Into LFC Victory Parade Was ‘Consumed by Rage’, Trial Hears.
A former Royal Marine was a “man in a rage” when he drove into dozens of Liverpool football club fans at a championship celebration, in what many feared was a act of terrorism, according to court proceedings.
“The video was truly shocking.”
Victims of Paul Doyle wept as video from the car’s camera 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 after pleading guilty on the first day of his trial last month to 31 criminal charges against 21 adults and eight children.
‘A Man in a Rage’
Prosecutors stated the court that the footage from Doyle’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy was “truly shocking”. It showed the parent yelling “fucking pricks” and “fucking move” as he drove towards a large crowd of supporters, with people frantically dragging children to safety as he blasted the horn.
The court was told that Doyle acted as a “individual whose anger had completely overpowered him” as he continued driving into the mass of people, speeding up as people collided with his car.
Scale of the Carnage
Overall, the ex-marine hurt 134 people in just seven minutes – including more than 50 who needed hospital treatment. An infant was “remarkably” unharmed despite being left splayed on the road when Doyle’s car hit his pram, the court heard.
A supporter, Simon Nash, was seen being launched into the air by the vehicle, sustaining a laceration on his head, broken ribs and numerous scrapes.
Doyle could be heard shouting “for God’s sake move! Get out of my path!” before ploughing further into panicked fans, including an elderly woman and children who were dragged under the car.
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 day of joyfulness” to celebrate Liverpool winning their 20th league title. The celebratory atmosphere turned to “horror”, it was said, when the driver entered the crowd 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
As bodies lay on the ground, 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”. Even then, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, the court heard.
In his police interview, the defendant stated he acted in a “blind panic” due to a fear for his safety. However, prosecutors contended that the dashcam footage showed Doyle “just lost his temper in his determination to reach his destination”. It was further stated: “Consumed by anger, he targeted the crowd and in doing so his intent was to cause serious injury.”
Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident
The video indicated Doyle had been driving dangerously prior to entering downtown, undertaking cars at speed and running red lights. He ignored road closures and bypassed other cars, even emergency service vehicles, as he entered the crowds.
Doyle is understood to be facing a jail term of over a decade at his sentencing hearing.
