Man Who Ploughed Through LFC Victory Parade Described as ‘Consumed by Rage’, Trial Hears.
A former Royal Marines Commando was a “man in a rage” as he drove into dozens of LFC fans during a championship celebration, in what many feared was a act of terrorism, a court has heard.
“The footage was deeply disturbing.”
Victims of Paul Doyle cried as dashcam footage showed bodies spinning through the air while he sped towards the gathering while screaming: “Get out of the way!”
The 54-year-old defendant will learn his fate on Tuesday following his guilty plea at the start of his trial last month to 31 offences involving 29 victims, including eight minors.
‘Consumed by Anger’
The prosecution warned the court that the footage from Doyle’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy was “truly shocking”. The recording revealed the father of three yelling “expletives” and “fucking move” as he drove towards hundreds of fans, with people frantically dragging children to safety as his car horn blared.
The court was told that Doyle was a “man in a rage had completely overpowered him” as he continued driving into the mass of people, speeding up as people collided with his car.
Extent of the Injuries
In total, the former Royal Marine injured 134 individuals within a mere seven-minute span – with over fifty requiring hospital care. A six-month-old boy was “remarkably” unharmed despite being left splayed on the road after the vehicle struck his stroller, according to testimony.
One fan, a man named in court, was seen being launched into the air by the vehicle, sustaining a cut to the back of his head, rib fractures and numerous scrapes.
The defendant could be heard shouting “for God’s sake move! Get out my fucking way!” before ploughing further into panicked fans, including an elderly woman and children who became trapped beneath the vehicle.
Scene of Jubilation Turns to Horror
Speaking to a full court, lawyers said about 1 million people 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, when the driver entered the crowd as he attempted to pick up a friend from the parade route.
“Some at the scene believed what was taking place was a terrorist attack.”
Rampage Halted by Heroic Act
With injured people on the street, the vehicle’s path was brought to a halt by a former soldier, Dan Barr, 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 claimed he acted in a “blind panic” due to a fear for his safety. Yet, the prosecution argued that the dashcam footage showed the defendant “simply lost control in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to”. It was further stated: “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 prior to entering downtown, undertaking cars at speed and running red lights. He ignored road closures and weaved around other cars, including an ambulance and police cars, as he entered the crowds.
The defendant is understood to be facing a prison sentence of more than 10 years at his sentencing hearing.
