🔗 Share this article

An ex- Royal Marine acted as a “man in a rage” when 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 deeply disturbing.”

Those injured in the incident wept as dashcam footage showed people being thrown into the air as he accelerated into crowds and shouted: “Get out of the way!”

Doyle, 54, will learn his fate on Tuesday following his guilty plea on the first day of his trial last month to 31 offences involving 21 adults and eight children.

‘A Man in a Rage’

Prosecutors stated those in court that the footage from the defendant’s large people carrier proved to be “extremely graphic”. It showed the father of three yelling “fucking pricks” 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 was a “individual whose anger had completely overpowered him” as he ploughed further into the crowd, speeding up as people collided with his car.

Extent of the Injuries

In total, the ex-marine hurt 134 people in just seven minutes – with over fifty requiring hospital care. 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 to the back of his head, rib fractures and numerous scrapes.

Doyle could be heard shouting “fuck’s sake move! Get out of my path!” prior to driving deeper into screaming supporters, including an elderly woman and children who became trapped beneath the vehicle.

Celebration Descends into Chaos

Speaking to a full court, lawyers said about 1 million people had attended “an event they believed to be a day of joyfulness” to celebrate the football club’s championship win. Scenes of jubilation swiftly became “terror”, it was said, when the driver entered the crowd while trying to collect a companion from the parade route.

“Witnesses thought that the events unfolding was a terrorist attack.”

Rampage Halted by Heroic Act

With injured people on the street, the vehicle’s path was stopped by an ex-army member, Dan Barr, who climbed into a rear passenger seat and held the car’s gear selector in “park”. Even then, Doyle continued pressing the gas pedal, according to evidence.

During questioning, Doyle stated he acted in a “state of sheer panic” due to a fear for his safety. Yet, prosecutors contended that the dashcam footage showed Doyle “simply lost control in his determination to reach his destination”. It was further stated: “Consumed by anger, he targeted the crowd and as he did so his intent was to cause serious injury.”

Reckless Behavior Before the Attack

The video indicated the driver was driving recklessly prior to entering downtown, overtaking cars dangerously and running red lights. He disregarded road closures and bypassed other vehicles, including an ambulance and police cars, as he approached the packed streets.

The defendant is expected to receive a jail term of over a decade at his sentencing hearing.