🔗 Share this article

An ex- Royal Marine acted as a “man in a rage” when he mowed down scores of Liverpool football club supporters during a championship celebration, in what many feared was a terrorist attack, according to court proceedings.

“The footage is deeply disturbing.”

Those injured of Paul Doyle cried as video from the car’s camera showed bodies spinning through the air as he accelerated into crowds and shouted: “Fucking hell, move!”

Doyle, 54, is due to be sentenced on Tuesday after pleading guilty on the first day of his trial last month to 31 criminal charges against 21 adults and eight children.

‘A Man in a Rage’

The prosecution warned the court that the footage from Doyle’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy was “truly shocking”. The recording revealed the father of three shouting “expletives” and “fucking move” while he headed straight for hundreds of fans, with people frantically dragging children to safety as his car horn blared.

It was stated in court that Doyle was a “individual whose anger whose anger had completely taken hold of him” as he ploughed further into the crowd, accelerating as people collided with his car.

Scale of the Carnage

Overall, the former Royal Marine injured 134 individuals in just seven minutes – including more than 50 who needed hospital treatment. An infant was “miraculously” uninjured despite being left splayed on the road after the vehicle struck his stroller, the court heard.

One fan, a man named in court, was shown being thrown into the air by the car, sustaining a cut to the back of his head, rib fractures and multiple abrasions.

Doyle could be heard shouting “fuck’s sake move! Get out my fucking way!” before ploughing further into panicked fans, among them an older woman and young children who became trapped beneath the vehicle.

Celebration Descends into Chaos

Addressing a packed courtroom, the prosecution said approximately a million individuals were present at “what they thought would be a joyous occasion” marking the football club’s championship win. The celebratory atmosphere swiftly became “horror”, the prosecutor said, as Doyle drove into oncoming fans while trying to collect a companion from the parade route.

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

Brave Intervention Stops Driver

With injured people on the street, Doyle’s rampage 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 kept his foot on the accelerator, the court heard.

In his police interview, Doyle claimed he reacted in a “blind panic” due to a fear for his safety. Yet, prosecutors contended that the video demonstrated the defendant “just lost his temper in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to”. It was further stated: “In a rage, he targeted the crowd and in doing so his intent was to cause serious injury.”

Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident

Footage indicated the driver was driving recklessly prior to entering downtown, overtaking cars dangerously and jumping red lights. He ignored traffic diversion measures and weaved around other cars, including an ambulance and police cars, as he entered the crowds.

Doyle is expected to receive a jail term of more than 10 years at his sentencing hearing.