🔗 Share this article

An ex- Royal Marines Commando acted as a “person consumed by fury” as he mowed down scores of LFC fans during a victory parade, in what many feared was a terrorist attack, a court has heard.

“The video was truly shocking.”

Victims of Paul Doyle cried while video from the car’s camera depicted people being thrown into the air as he accelerated into crowds and shouted: “Get out of the way!”

The 54-year-old defendant will learn his fate on Tuesday after pleading guilty at the start of his trial last month to 31 offences against 29 victims, including eight minors.

‘Consumed by Anger’

Prosecutors stated those in court that the footage from the defendant’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy was “truly shocking”. The recording revealed the parent shouting “expletives” as well as “move out of the way” as he drove towards hundreds of fans, with people frantically dragging children to safety as his car horn blared.

The court was told 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 while individuals were struck by his vehicle.

Extent of the Injuries

In total, the ex-marine injured 134 people within a mere seven-minute span – including more than 50 requiring hospital care. A six-month-old boy was “remarkably” uninjured despite being left splayed on the road when Doyle’s car hit his pram, the court heard.

One fan, a man named in court, was shown being thrown into the air by the car, suffering a laceration on his head, broken ribs and multiple abrasions.

The defendant was heard screaming “for God’s sake move! Get out of my path!” before ploughing further into screaming supporters, among them an older woman and young children who became trapped beneath the vehicle.

Scene of Jubilation Turns to Horror

Addressing a packed courtroom, lawyers said about 1 million people had attended “what they thought would be a day of joyfulness” marking the football club’s championship win. The celebratory atmosphere swiftly became “terror”, it was said, when the driver entered the crowd as he attempted to pick up a friend from the parade route.

“Some at the scene thought that the events unfolding constituted a terrorist incident.”

Rampage Halted by Heroic Act

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 continued pressing the gas pedal, the court heard.

During questioning, the defendant claimed he acted in a “blind panic” because he feared for his life. However, the prosecution argued that the dashcam footage showed Doyle “just lost his temper 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 his intent was to cause serious injury.”

Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident

The video indicated the driver had been driving dangerously 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.

Doyle is expected to receive a jail term of over a decade when he is sentenced on Tuesday.