Driver Who Drove Into LFC Parade Was ‘In a Rage’, Trial Told.
A former Royal Marine acted as a “man in a rage” as he mowed down scores of LFC supporters at a victory parade, an incident many initially feared to be a terrorist attack, a court has heard.
“The footage is truly shocking.”
Those injured of Paul Doyle wept while dashcam footage showed people being thrown into the air while he sped towards the gathering and shouted: “Fucking hell, move!”
Doyle, 54, will learn his fate on Tuesday after pleading guilty on the first day of his trial last month to 31 criminal charges against 29 victims, including eight minors.
‘Consumed by Anger’
Prosecutors warned the court that the video evidence from Doyle’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy proved to be “truly shocking”. It showed the parent yelling “fucking pricks” as well as “fucking move” 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 “individual whose anger whose anger had completely taken hold of him” as he ploughed further into the crowd, speeding up as people collided with his car.
Extent of the Injuries
In total, the ex-marine injured 134 individuals in just seven minutes – with over fifty who needed hospital treatment. An infant was “miraculously” unharmed even though he was left on the roadway when Doyle’s car hit his pram, according to testimony.
One fan, a man named in court, was seen being launched into the air by the vehicle, sustaining a cut on his head, broken ribs and numerous scrapes.
The defendant was heard screaming “fuck’s sake move! Get out of my path!” before ploughing further into panicked fans, among them an older woman and young children who were dragged under the car.
Scene of Jubilation Turns to Horror
Speaking to a full court, lawyers said approximately a million individuals were present at “what they thought would be a day of joyfulness” to celebrate Liverpool winning their 20th league title. Scenes of jubilation turned to “terror”, the prosecutor said, when the driver entered the crowd while trying to collect a companion from the parade route.
“Witnesses believed what was taking place was a terrorist attack.”
Brave Intervention Stops Driver
With injured people on the street, Doyle’s rampage was stopped by a former soldier, Dan Barr, who climbed into a rear passenger seat and forced the gearstick into park. Despite this, Doyle continued pressing the gas pedal, the court heard.
During questioning, the defendant claimed he reacted in a “blind panic” because he feared for his life. However, 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.”
Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident
The video indicated the driver was driving recklessly prior to entering downtown, overtaking cars dangerously and jumping red lights. He disregarded traffic diversion measures and bypassed 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 when he is sentenced on Tuesday.
