Driver Who Drove Into LFC Parade Described as ‘Consumed by Rage’, Court Told.
A former Royal Marine was a “man in a rage” as he mowed down scores of LFC fans at a championship celebration, an incident many initially feared to be a terrorist attack, a court has heard.
“The footage was deeply disturbing.”
Those injured in the incident cried as video from the car’s camera showed people being thrown into the air while he sped towards the gathering while screaming: “Fucking hell, move!”
Doyle, 54, is due to be sentenced 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’
The prosecution warned those in court that the footage from the defendant’s large people carrier proved to be “extremely graphic”. The recording revealed the parent shouting “expletives” as well as “move out of the way” as he drove towards 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 “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
In total, the former Royal Marine hurt 134 individuals in just seven minutes – with over fifty who needed hospital treatment. An infant was “remarkably” unharmed even though he was left on the roadway when Doyle’s car hit his pram, according to testimony.
One fan, Simon Nash, was shown being thrown into the air by the vehicle, suffering a laceration on his head, rib fractures and multiple abrasions.
The defendant was heard screaming “fuck’s sake move! Get out of my path!” 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, lawyers said approximately a million individuals were present at “what they thought would be a day of joyfulness” to celebrate the football club’s championship win. Scenes of jubilation swiftly became “terror”, the prosecutor said, when the driver entered the crowd as he attempted to pick up a friend from the parade route.
“Some at the scene thought that what was taking place was a terrorist attack.”
Brave Intervention Stops Driver
With injured people on the street, the vehicle’s path was brought to a halt 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”. Even then, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, according to evidence.
In his police interview, the defendant claimed he reacted in a “state of sheer panic” due to a fear for his safety. However, the prosecution argued that the video showed the defendant “just lost his temper 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.”
Reckless Behavior Before the Attack
Footage showed Doyle had been driving dangerously before he reached the city centre, overtaking cars dangerously and running red lights. He disregarded traffic diversion measures and bypassed other vehicles, including an ambulance and police cars, as he approached the packed streets.
Doyle is expected to receive a jail term of more than 10 years when he is sentenced on Tuesday.