Man Who Drove Into LFC Parade Described as ‘Consumed by Rage’, Trial Hears.
A former Royal Marine acted as a “person consumed by fury” as he drove into scores of LFC fans during a victory parade, an incident many initially feared to be a act of terrorism, according to court proceedings.
“The footage was deeply disturbing.”
Victims in the incident cried while dashcam footage depicted people being thrown into the air while he sped towards the gathering and shouted: “Fucking hell, move!”
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 involving 29 victims, including eight minors.
‘Consumed by Anger’
Prosecutors stated those in court that the footage from Doyle’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy proved to be “extremely graphic”. It showed the father of three shouting “fucking pricks” and “fucking move” while he headed straight for 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, speeding up while individuals were struck by his vehicle.
Scale of the Carnage
In total, the former Royal Marine hurt 134 people in just seven minutes – with over fifty who needed hospital treatment. A six-month-old boy was “miraculously” uninjured despite being left splayed on the road when Doyle’s car hit his pram, according to testimony.
A supporter, a man named in court, was seen being launched into the air by the vehicle, sustaining a laceration on his head, rib fractures and numerous scrapes.
The defendant could be heard shouting “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 became trapped beneath the vehicle.
Celebration Descends into Chaos
Speaking to a full court, lawyers said approximately a million individuals had attended “an event they believed to be a day of joyfulness” to celebrate Liverpool winning their 20th league title. Scenes of jubilation turned to “horror”, the prosecutor said, as Doyle drove into oncoming fans while trying to collect a companion who had been at the parade.
“Witnesses believed what was taking place constituted a terrorist incident.”
Brave Intervention Stops Driver
As bodies lay on the ground, the vehicle’s path was brought to a halt by a former soldier, Dan Barr, who climbed into a rear passenger seat and forced the gearstick into 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 dashcam footage showed Doyle “simply lost control 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.”
Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident
Footage indicated the driver had been driving dangerously prior to entering downtown, undertaking cars at speed and running red lights. He disregarded road closures and bypassed other cars, even emergency service vehicles, as he entered the crowds.
The defendant is understood to be facing a prison sentence of over a decade at his sentencing hearing.
