🔗 Share this article

An ex- Royal Marine acted as a “person consumed by fury” as he drove into scores of Liverpool football club fans during a championship celebration, in what many feared was a act of terrorism, a court has heard.

“The footage is profoundly upsetting.”

Those injured in the incident wept as dashcam footage depicted people being thrown into the air while he sped towards the gathering and shouted: “Get out of the way!”

The 54-year-old defendant is due to be sentenced on Tuesday after pleading guilty at the start of his trial last month to 31 offences against 21 adults and eight children.

‘Consumed by Anger’

Prosecutors stated the court that the video evidence from Doyle’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy proved to be “truly shocking”. It showed the parent shouting “expletives” as well as “move out of the way” while he headed straight for a large crowd of supporters, with people frantically dragging children to safety as his car horn blared.

The court was told that Doyle acted as a “individual whose anger had completely overpowered him” as he continued driving into the mass of people, speeding up as people collided with his car.

Scale of the Carnage

Overall, the former Royal Marine hurt 134 people in just seven minutes – with over fifty who needed hospital treatment. An infant was “miraculously” uninjured even though he was left on the roadway after the vehicle struck his stroller, the court heard.

A supporter, Simon Nash, was shown being thrown into the air by the car, suffering a laceration to the back of his head, broken ribs and numerous scrapes.

Doyle was heard screaming “fuck’s sake move! Get out of my path!” prior to driving deeper into panicked fans, among them an older woman and young children who became trapped beneath the vehicle.

Scene of Jubilation Turns to Horror

Speaking to a full court, the prosecution said approximately a million individuals were present at “an event they believed to be a day of joyfulness” to celebrate the football club’s championship win. The celebratory atmosphere turned to “terror”, 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.”

Rampage Halted by Heroic Act

As bodies lay on the ground, Doyle’s rampage was stopped by an ex-army member, a man identified in court, who climbed into a rear passenger seat and forced the gearstick into park. Even then, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, according to evidence.

During questioning, the defendant claimed he acted in a “state of sheer panic” due to a fear for his safety. However, the prosecution argued that the dashcam footage showed 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 drove into the crowd and as he did so he intended to cause them serious harm.”

Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident

The video indicated Doyle was driving recklessly prior to entering downtown, undertaking cars at speed 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 understood to be facing a jail term of over a decade when he is sentenced on Tuesday.