Driver That Drove Into LFC Victory Parade Was ‘Consumed by Rage’, Court Told.
A former Royal Marines Commando was a “person consumed by fury” as he drove into scores of LFC fans during a championship celebration, an incident many initially feared to be a act of terrorism, a court has heard.
“The footage was truly shocking.”
Victims of Paul Doyle wept as dashcam footage depicted people being thrown into the air as he accelerated into crowds 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 criminal charges involving 29 victims, including eight minors.
‘A Man in a Rage’
Prosecutors stated the court that the footage from Doyle’s large people carrier was “truly shocking”. The recording revealed the parent shouting “expletives” as well as “move out of the way” while he headed straight for a large crowd of supporters, some pulling children out of the way as his car horn blared.
The court was told that Doyle was a “individual whose anger had completely overpowered him” as he continued driving into the mass of people, accelerating as people collided with his car.
Scale of the Carnage
Overall, the former Royal Marine injured 134 individuals in just seven minutes – with over fifty who needed hospital treatment. A six-month-old boy was “miraculously” unharmed despite being left splayed on the road after the vehicle struck his stroller, according to testimony.
One fan, Simon Nash, was shown being thrown into the air by the vehicle, suffering a cut to the back of his head, rib fractures and numerous scrapes.
Doyle could be heard shouting “for God’s sake move! Get out my fucking way!” prior to driving deeper 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 “what they thought would be a joyous occasion” to celebrate the football club’s championship win. Scenes of jubilation turned to “horror”, the prosecutor said, when the driver entered the crowd as he attempted to pick up a friend from the parade route.
“Witnesses believed the events unfolding constituted a terrorist incident.”
Rampage Halted by Heroic Act
As bodies lay on the ground, the vehicle’s path was stopped by an ex-army member, Dan Barr, who climbed into a rear passenger seat and forced the gearstick into park. Despite this, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, the court heard.
In his police interview, the defendant claimed he acted in a “blind panic” because he feared for his life. However, prosecutors contended that the dashcam footage showed Doyle “simply lost control in his determination to reach his destination”. The prosecutor added: “Consumed by anger, he drove into the crowd and as he did so his intent was to cause serious injury.”
Reckless Behavior Before the Attack
The video showed Doyle was driving recklessly before he reached the city centre, undertaking cars at speed and jumping red lights. He disregarded road closures and weaved around other vehicles, including an ambulance and police cars, as he approached the packed streets.
The defendant is understood to be facing a jail term of more than 10 years at his sentencing hearing.
