Man Who Drove Into LFC Victory Parade Was ‘In a Rage’, Court Hears.
An ex- Royal Marines Commando was a “person consumed by fury” as he mowed down scores of LFC fans during a victory parade, an incident many initially feared to be a terrorist attack, a court has heard.
“The footage was profoundly upsetting.”
Victims of Paul Doyle wept as dashcam footage depicted bodies spinning through the air as he accelerated into crowds 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 criminal charges involving 21 adults and eight children.
‘Consumed by Anger’
Prosecutors warned the court that the video evidence from the defendant’s large people carrier was “extremely graphic”. It showed the father of three shouting “fucking pricks” as well as “fucking move” while he headed straight for hundreds of fans, with people frantically dragging children to safety as he blasted the horn.
It was stated in court that Doyle acted as a “man in a rage whose anger had completely taken hold of him” as he continued driving into the mass of people, accelerating while individuals were struck by his vehicle.
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 “miraculously” unharmed even though he was left on the roadway after the vehicle struck his stroller, according to testimony.
One fan, a man named in court, was shown being thrown into the air by the car, suffering a cut on his head, broken ribs and numerous scrapes.
The defendant could be heard shouting “fuck’s sake move! Get out my fucking way!” before ploughing further into panicked fans, among them an older woman and young children who were dragged under the car.
Scene of Jubilation Turns to Horror
Speaking to a full court, the prosecution said about 1 million people were present at “what they thought would be a day of joyfulness” to celebrate the football club’s championship win. Scenes of jubilation turned to “horror”, the prosecutor said, when the driver entered the crowd while trying to collect a companion from the parade route.
“Some at the scene believed what was taking place was a terrorist attack.”
Brave Intervention Stops Driver
With injured people on the street, the vehicle’s path was stopped by a former soldier, a man identified in court, who climbed into a rear passenger seat and held the car’s gear selector in “park”. Despite this, Doyle continued pressing the gas pedal, the court heard.
During questioning, the defendant stated he acted in a “blind panic” because he feared for his life. However, prosecutors contended that the dashcam footage showed the defendant “just lost his temper in his determination to reach his destination”. The prosecutor added: “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 showed the driver was driving recklessly before he reached the city centre, undertaking cars at speed and jumping red lights. He ignored traffic diversion measures and bypassed other cars, even emergency service vehicles, as he approached the packed streets.
Doyle is expected to receive a jail term of over a decade when he is sentenced on Tuesday.
