Driver That Drove Through LFC Victory Parade Described as ‘Consumed by Rage’, Court Told.
An ex- Royal Marines Commando acted as a “man in a rage” as he mowed down dozens of LFC supporters during a championship celebration, an incident many initially feared to be a terrorist attack, a court has heard.
“The footage is deeply disturbing.”
Those injured in the incident wept while video from the car’s camera 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 after pleading guilty at the start of his trial last month to 31 criminal charges against 29 victims, including eight minors.
‘A Man in a Rage’
The prosecution stated those in court that the footage from the defendant’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy was “truly shocking”. It showed the parent yelling “fucking pricks” and “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 whose anger had completely taken hold of him” as he ploughed further into the crowd, accelerating as people collided with his car.
Scale of the Carnage
Overall, the former Royal Marine hurt 134 people within a mere seven-minute span – including more than 50 requiring hospital care. An infant was “remarkably” uninjured despite being left splayed on the road when Doyle’s car hit his pram, according to testimony.
A supporter, Simon Nash, was shown being thrown into the air by the car, sustaining a laceration on his head, broken ribs and numerous scrapes.
Doyle was heard screaming “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 were dragged under the car.
Scene of Jubilation Turns to Horror
Addressing a packed courtroom, lawyers said approximately a million individuals were present at “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 while trying to collect a companion from the parade route.
“Some at the scene believed the events unfolding constituted a terrorist incident.”
Brave Intervention Stops Driver
With injured people on the street, Doyle’s rampage was brought to a halt by an ex-army member, a man identified in court, who entered the back of the car and forced the gearstick into park. Despite this, Doyle continued pressing the gas pedal, the court heard.
During questioning, Doyle stated he reacted in a “state of sheer panic” because he feared for his life. However, the prosecution argued that the dashcam footage demonstrated Doyle “just lost his temper in his determination to reach his destination”. The prosecutor added: “In a rage, he targeted the crowd and in doing so his intent was to cause serious injury.”
Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident
The video indicated the driver had been driving dangerously prior to entering downtown, overtaking cars dangerously and jumping red lights. He ignored road closures and weaved around other vehicles, including an ambulance and police cars, as he entered the crowds.
Doyle is expected to receive a jail term of over a decade when he is sentenced on Tuesday.
