Man That Ploughed Into LFC Victory Parade Described as ‘In a Rage’, Court Hears.
An ex- Royal Marine acted as a “man in a rage” when he mowed down dozens of LFC supporters at a victory parade, an incident many initially feared to be a act of terrorism, a court has heard.
“The video was truly shocking.”
Those injured of Paul Doyle cried as video from the car’s camera showed bodies spinning through the air while he sped towards the gathering and shouted: “Fucking hell, move!”
Doyle, 54, is due to be sentenced on Tuesday following his guilty plea on the first day of his trial last month to 31 offences involving 29 victims, including eight minors.
‘A Man in a Rage’
The prosecution warned the court that the footage from Doyle’s large people carrier was “truly shocking”. The recording revealed the parent shouting “expletives” as well as “fucking move” as he drove towards hundreds of fans, with people frantically dragging children to safety 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 continued driving into the mass of people, accelerating as people collided with his car.
Scale of the Carnage
Overall, the former Royal Marine hurt 134 individuals within a mere seven-minute span – with over fifty who needed hospital treatment. A six-month-old boy was “remarkably” uninjured despite being left splayed on the road after the vehicle struck his stroller, 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 of my path!” prior to driving deeper into panicked fans, including an elderly woman and children who were dragged under the car.
Celebration Descends into Chaos
Addressing a packed courtroom, lawyers said approximately a million individuals were present at “an event they believed to be a day of joyfulness” marking the football club’s championship win. The celebratory atmosphere swiftly became “horror”, 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 believed the events unfolding was a terrorist attack.”
Rampage Halted by Heroic Act
As bodies lay on the ground, the vehicle’s path was brought to a halt by a former soldier, a man identified in court, who entered the back of the car and forced the gearstick into park. Despite this, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, according to evidence.
During questioning, Doyle stated he acted in a “state of sheer panic” due to a fear for his safety. Yet, the prosecution argued that the video demonstrated Doyle “simply lost control in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to”. The prosecutor added: “In a rage, he drove into the crowd and as he did so he intended to cause them serious harm.”
Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident
The video showed Doyle had been driving dangerously before he reached the city centre, undertaking cars at speed and running red lights. He disregarded road closures and weaved around other cars, including an ambulance and police cars, as he approached the packed streets.
Doyle is understood to be facing a jail term of more than 10 years at his sentencing hearing.