Man That Drove Into Liverpool FC Victory Parade Was ‘In a Rage’, Court Told.

A former Royal Marine was a “man in a rage” as he drove into dozens of Liverpool football club fans at a victory parade, an incident many initially feared to be a terrorist attack, a court has heard.

Those injured in the incident wept while dashcam footage showed people being thrown into the air while he sped towards the gathering while screaming: “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 offences against 29 victims, including eight minors.

‘Consumed by Anger’

The prosecution warned those in court that the video evidence from Doyle’s large people carrier was “extremely graphic”. It showed the father of three shouting “fucking pricks” as well as “move out of the way” while he headed straight for a large crowd of supporters, some pulling children out of the way as he blasted the horn.

The court was told that Doyle was a “man in a rage whose anger had completely taken hold of 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 injured 134 people in just seven minutes – including more than 50 requiring hospital care. An infant was “miraculously” unharmed even though he was left on the roadway after the vehicle struck his stroller, the court heard.

A supporter, Simon Nash, was seen being launched into the air by the vehicle, suffering a cut to the back of his head, rib fractures and numerous scrapes.

The defendant was heard screaming “fuck’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.

Celebration Descends into Chaos

Speaking to a full court, lawyers said about 1 million people had attended “an event they believed to be a joyous occasion” to celebrate Liverpool winning their 20th league title. The celebratory atmosphere swiftly became “terror”, the prosecutor said, when the driver entered the crowd as he attempted to pick up a friend who had been at the parade.

Rampage Halted by Heroic Act

As bodies lay on the ground, the vehicle’s path was stopped by an ex-army member, Dan Barr, who climbed into a rear passenger seat and forced the gearstick into park. Even then, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, the court heard.

In his police interview, Doyle stated he acted in a “blind panic” because he feared for his life. Yet, prosecutors contended that the dashcam footage demonstrated the defendant “just lost his temper in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to”. The prosecutor added: “In a rage, he targeted the crowd and in doing so he intended to cause them serious harm.”

Reckless Behavior Before the Attack

The video indicated the driver had been driving dangerously before he reached the city centre, undertaking cars at speed and running red lights. He ignored traffic diversion measures and bypassed other vehicles, even emergency service vehicles, as he approached the packed streets.

The defendant is understood to be facing a jail term of over a decade at his sentencing hearing.