Driver Who Drove Through LFC Victory Parade Was ‘Consumed by Rage’, Court Hears.
A former Royal Marine was a “person consumed by fury” as he mowed down scores of LFC supporters during a championship celebration, an incident many initially feared to be a act of terrorism, a court has heard.
“The video is deeply disturbing.”
Those injured of Paul Doyle wept while video from the car’s camera showed bodies spinning through the air while he sped towards the gathering and shouted: “Get out of the way!”
The 54-year-old defendant is due to be sentenced on Tuesday after pleading guilty on the first day of his trial last month to 31 offences against 21 adults and eight children.
‘Consumed by Anger’
The prosecution warned the court that the footage from the defendant’s large people carrier was “truly shocking”. It showed the parent 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.
It was stated in court that Doyle acted as a “man in a rage whose anger had completely taken hold of him” as he ploughed further into the crowd, speeding up as people collided with his car.
Scale of the Carnage
Overall, the ex-marine hurt 134 people in just seven minutes – with over fifty 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.
One fan, Simon Nash, was seen being launched into the air by the car, sustaining a laceration on his head, rib fractures and multiple abrasions.
Doyle could be heard shouting “for God’s sake move! Get out my fucking way!” before ploughing further into panicked fans, among them an older woman and young children who were dragged under the car.
Celebration Descends into Chaos
Speaking to a full court, lawyers said approximately a million individuals were present at “what they thought would be a day of joyfulness” marking the football club’s championship win. Scenes of jubilation swiftly became “terror”, it was said, when the driver entered the crowd as he attempted to pick up a friend from the parade route.
“Witnesses thought that the events unfolding 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 entered the back of the car and forced the gearstick into park. Despite this, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, according to evidence.
During questioning, the defendant stated he acted in a “state of sheer panic” due to a fear for his safety. Yet, prosecutors contended that the dashcam footage demonstrated the defendant “simply lost control in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to”. The prosecutor added: “Consumed by anger, he targeted the crowd and as he did so he intended to cause them serious harm.”
Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident
The video showed the driver had been driving dangerously before he reached the city centre, undertaking cars at speed and running red lights. He disregarded road closures and bypassed other cars, including an ambulance and police cars, as he entered the crowds.
The defendant is expected to receive a jail term of more than 10 years at his sentencing hearing.
