🔗 Share this article

An ex- Royal Marines Commando acted as a “man in a rage” when he mowed down dozens of Liverpool football club supporters during a victory parade, an incident many initially feared to be a act of terrorism, according to court proceedings.

“The video is deeply disturbing.”

Victims in the incident wept as dashcam footage showed bodies spinning through the air while he sped towards the gathering while screaming: “Get out of the way!”

The 54-year-old defendant will learn his fate on Tuesday after pleading guilty on the first day of his trial last month to 31 offences involving 21 adults and eight children.

‘A Man in a Rage’

The prosecution warned those in court that the footage from Doyle’s large people carrier was “truly shocking”. It showed the father of three shouting “fucking pricks” and “fucking move” as he drove towards a large crowd of supporters, some pulling children out of the way 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 while individuals were struck by his vehicle.

Scale of the Carnage

In total, the ex-marine injured 134 people in just seven minutes – with over fifty who needed hospital treatment. A six-month-old boy was “remarkably” unharmed despite being left splayed on the road when Doyle’s car hit his pram, the court heard.

One fan, a man named in court, was shown being thrown into the air by the vehicle, sustaining a cut on his head, rib fractures and numerous scrapes.

The defendant was heard screaming “for God’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.

Celebration Descends into Chaos

Speaking to a full court, lawyers said approximately a million individuals were present at “what they thought would be a joyous occasion” to celebrate the football club’s championship win. The celebratory atmosphere 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 the events unfolding constituted a terrorist incident.”

Brave Intervention Stops Driver

With injured people on the street, Doyle’s rampage 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”. Despite this, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, according to evidence.

During questioning, the defendant claimed he acted in a “state of sheer panic” because he feared for his life. However, the prosecution argued that the dashcam footage demonstrated Doyle “just lost his temper in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to”. It was further stated: “In a rage, he drove into the crowd and in doing so he intended to cause them serious harm.”

Reckless Behavior Before the Attack

The video showed Doyle was driving recklessly before he reached the city centre, undertaking cars at speed and running red lights. He ignored road closures and bypassed other cars, including an ambulance and police cars, as he approached the packed streets.

The defendant is understood to be facing a prison sentence of more than 10 years when he is sentenced on Tuesday.