Man That Drove Into Liverpool FC Parade Described as ‘In a Rage’, Court Hears.
A former Royal Marine was a “person consumed by fury” as he drove into dozens of Liverpool football club fans at a championship celebration, an incident many initially feared to be a act of terrorism, a court has heard.
“The video was profoundly upsetting.”
Those injured in the incident cried while dashcam footage depicted bodies spinning through the air as he accelerated into crowds and shouted: “Get out of the way!”
Doyle, 54, will learn his fate on Tuesday after pleading guilty on the first day of his trial last month to 31 offences involving 29 victims, including eight minors.
‘Consumed by Anger’
Prosecutors stated the court that the footage from the defendant’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy was “extremely graphic”. The recording revealed the father of three yelling “expletives” and “fucking move” while he headed straight for hundreds of fans, with people frantically dragging children to safety as he blasted the horn.
The court was told that Doyle was a “individual whose anger whose anger had completely taken hold of him” as he continued driving into the mass of people, accelerating as people collided with his car.
Extent of the Injuries
Overall, the ex-marine injured 134 individuals in just seven minutes – including more than 50 requiring hospital care. A six-month-old boy was “remarkably” unharmed despite being left splayed on the road after the vehicle struck his stroller, the court heard.
One fan, Simon Nash, was shown being thrown into the air by the car, sustaining a laceration to the back of his head, broken ribs and multiple abrasions.
The defendant was heard screaming “fuck’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.
Celebration Descends into Chaos
Addressing a packed courtroom, lawyers said approximately a million individuals had attended “an event they believed to be a day of joyfulness” to celebrate Liverpool winning their 20th league title. The celebratory atmosphere turned to “terror”, 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 the events unfolding constituted a terrorist incident.”
Rampage Halted by Heroic Act
As bodies lay on the ground, Doyle’s rampage was stopped by a former soldier, Dan Barr, who climbed into a rear passenger seat and held the car’s gear selector in “park”. Despite this, Doyle continued pressing the gas pedal, the court heard.
In his police interview, Doyle claimed he acted in a “blind panic” due to a fear for his safety. However, prosecutors contended that the dashcam footage showed Doyle “simply lost control in his determination to reach his destination”. The prosecutor added: “In a rage, he drove into the crowd and as he did so his intent was to cause serious injury.”
Reckless Behavior Before the Attack
The video indicated Doyle had been driving dangerously before he reached the city centre, undertaking cars at speed and jumping red lights. He disregarded road closures and weaved around other cars, even emergency service vehicles, as he approached the packed streets.
The defendant is expected to receive a prison sentence of more than 10 years at his sentencing hearing.
