A former Royal Marines Commando was a “man in a rage” as he mowed down dozens of LFC supporters at a victory parade, an incident many initially feared to be a act of terrorism, according to court proceedings.
“The video was profoundly upsetting.”
Victims of Paul Doyle wept while dashcam footage showed people being thrown into the air as he accelerated into crowds and shouted: “Get out of the way!”
The 54-year-old defendant is due to be sentenced on Tuesday following his guilty plea at the start of his trial last month to 31 offences involving 29 victims, including eight minors.
The prosecution stated those in court that the footage from Doyle’s large people carrier was “extremely graphic”. The recording revealed the parent shouting “fucking pricks” and “move out of the way” as he drove towards hundreds of fans, with people frantically dragging children to safety as he blasted the horn.
The court was told that Doyle acted as a “man in a rage whose anger had completely taken hold of him” as he continued driving into the mass of people, accelerating as people collided with his car.
In total, the ex-marine injured 134 people in just seven minutes – including more than 50 requiring hospital care. A six-month-old boy was “miraculously” unharmed even though he was left on the roadway when Doyle’s car hit his pram, the court heard.
One fan, Simon Nash, was seen being launched into the air by the vehicle, sustaining a cut on his head, broken ribs and multiple abrasions.
The defendant was heard screaming “fuck’s sake move! Get out my fucking way!” prior to driving deeper into screaming supporters, including an elderly woman and children who were dragged under the car.
Speaking to a full court, lawyers said about 1 million people had attended “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, as Doyle drove into oncoming fans while trying to collect a companion who had been at the parade.
“Some at the scene thought that what was taking place constituted a terrorist incident.”
As bodies lay on the ground, the vehicle’s path was brought to a halt by a former soldier, a man identified in court, who entered the back of the car and held the car’s gear selector in “park”. Even then, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, the court heard.
During questioning, the defendant claimed he acted in a “state of sheer panic” due to a fear for his safety. Yet, the prosecution argued that the video demonstrated the defendant “simply lost control in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to”. The prosecutor added: “In a rage, he drove into the crowd and as he did so his intent was to cause serious injury.”
The video showed the driver was driving recklessly prior to entering downtown, overtaking cars dangerously and running red lights. He disregarded traffic diversion measures and weaved around other vehicles, including an ambulance and police cars, as he approached the packed streets.
Doyle is expected to receive a jail term of more than 10 years when he is sentenced on Tuesday.
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