Man Who Ploughed Into LFC Victory Parade Was ‘Consumed by Rage’, Court Hears.
A former Royal Marine acted as a “person consumed by fury” as he drove into scores of LFC fans at a championship celebration, an incident many initially feared to be a act of terrorism, a court has heard.
“The video was truly shocking.”
Those injured of Paul Doyle wept as dashcam footage depicted people being thrown into the air while he sped towards the gathering and shouted: “Fucking hell, move!”
Doyle, 54, is due to be sentenced on Tuesday following his guilty plea on the first day of his trial last month to 31 criminal charges involving 21 adults and eight children.
‘Consumed by Anger’
The prosecution warned the court that the footage from Doyle’s large people carrier was “truly shocking”. It showed the parent yelling “expletives” as well as “move out of the way” as he drove towards a large crowd of supporters, with people frantically dragging children to safety as he blasted the horn.
It was stated in court 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, speeding up as people collided with his car.
Extent of the Injuries
In total, the former Royal Marine hurt 134 people in just seven minutes – including more than 50 who needed hospital treatment. A six-month-old boy was “miraculously” uninjured even though he was left on the roadway when Doyle’s car hit his pram, the court heard.
A supporter, a man named in court, was seen being launched into the air by the car, suffering a cut on his head, rib fractures and multiple abrasions.
The defendant could be heard shouting “fuck’s sake move! Get out of my path!” prior to driving deeper into panicked fans, including an elderly woman and children who were dragged under the car.
Celebration Descends into Chaos
Addressing a packed courtroom, lawyers said about 1 million people had attended “an event they believed to be a joyous occasion” to celebrate the football club’s championship win. The celebratory atmosphere turned to “horror”, it was said, when the driver entered the crowd while trying to collect a companion from the parade route.
“Witnesses 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 entered the back of the car and held the car’s gear selector in “park”. Even then, Doyle continued pressing the gas pedal, the court heard.
In his police interview, the defendant stated he acted in a “blind panic” due to a fear for his safety. However, the prosecution argued that the video demonstrated Doyle “simply lost control in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to”. It was further stated: “Consumed by anger, he drove into the crowd and in doing so he intended to cause them serious harm.”
Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident
Footage indicated Doyle was driving recklessly prior to entering downtown, overtaking cars dangerously 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 expected to receive a jail term of over a decade when he is sentenced on Tuesday.
