Man Who Ploughed Through LFC Parade Was ‘In a Rage’, Trial Hears.
An ex- Royal Marines Commando was a “man in a rage” as he drove into dozens of LFC supporters during a victory parade, an incident many initially feared to be a terrorist attack, according to court proceedings.
“The footage was profoundly upsetting.”
Victims in the incident cried as video from the car’s camera depicted bodies spinning through the air while he sped towards the gathering and shouted: “Fucking hell, move!”
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.
‘Consumed by Anger’
Prosecutors stated those in court that the video evidence from the defendant’s large people carrier was “extremely graphic”. The recording revealed the father of three shouting “expletives” and “fucking move” as he drove towards hundreds of fans, some pulling children out of the way as he blasted the horn.
The court was told that Doyle was a “man in a rage whose anger had completely taken hold of him” as he continued driving into the mass of people, accelerating as people collided with his car.
Scale of the Carnage
Overall, the ex-marine hurt 134 people in just seven minutes – with over fifty requiring hospital care. A six-month-old boy was “remarkably” uninjured despite being left splayed on the road when Doyle’s car hit his pram, the court heard.
One fan, Simon Nash, was shown being thrown into the air by the car, suffering a cut to the back of his head, rib fractures and numerous scrapes.
Doyle was heard screaming “for God’s sake move! Get out my fucking way!” prior to driving deeper into panicked fans, including an elderly woman and 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 day of joyfulness” marking the football club’s championship win. Scenes of jubilation turned to “horror”, the prosecutor said, as Doyle drove into oncoming fans as he attempted to pick up a friend who had been at the parade.
“Witnesses believed what was taking place constituted a terrorist incident.”
Brave Intervention Stops Driver
With injured people on the street, Doyle’s rampage was stopped 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.
During questioning, Doyle claimed he acted in a “blind panic” due to a fear for his safety. However, the prosecution argued that the video showed the defendant “simply lost control in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to”. The prosecutor added: “Consumed by anger, he targeted the crowd and in doing so he intended to cause them serious harm.”
Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident
Footage showed Doyle was driving recklessly before he reached the city centre, overtaking cars dangerously and jumping red lights. He ignored road closures and bypassed other vehicles, even emergency service vehicles, as he entered the crowds.
Doyle is understood to be facing a jail term of more than 10 years at his sentencing hearing.
