🔗 Share this article

A former Royal Marine acted as a “person consumed by fury” when he drove into dozens of LFC fans at a victory parade, 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 while dashcam footage depicted people being thrown into the air as he accelerated into crowds while screaming: “Get out of the way!”

The 54-year-old defendant is due to be sentenced on Tuesday following his guilty plea at the start of his trial last month to 31 criminal charges against 21 adults and eight children.

‘A Man in a Rage’

The prosecution stated those in court that the footage from the defendant’s large people carrier proved to be “extremely graphic”. The recording revealed the father of three shouting “expletives” as well as “move out of the way” as he drove towards hundreds of fans, some pulling children out of the way as he blasted the horn.

The court was told 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, speeding up while individuals were struck by his vehicle.

Extent of the Injuries

In total, the ex-marine hurt 134 people in just seven minutes – with over fifty who needed hospital treatment. A six-month-old boy was “remarkably” uninjured even though he was left on the roadway when Doyle’s car hit his pram, the court heard.

A supporter, a man named in court, was shown being thrown into the air by the vehicle, sustaining a cut on his head, broken ribs and numerous scrapes.

The defendant was heard screaming “for God’s sake move! Get out of my path!” before ploughing further into screaming supporters, among them an older woman and young children who were dragged under the car.

Celebration Descends into Chaos

Addressing a packed courtroom, 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 swiftly became “terror”, the prosecutor said, when the driver entered the crowd while trying to collect a companion from the parade route.

“Witnesses thought that the events unfolding was a terrorist attack.”

Rampage Halted by Heroic Act

With injured people on the street, Doyle’s rampage 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 kept his foot on the accelerator, the court heard.

In his police interview, the defendant stated he acted in a “state of sheer panic” due to a fear for his safety. Yet, the prosecution argued that the dashcam footage showed the defendant “just lost his temper in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to”. The prosecutor added: “In a rage, he targeted the crowd and as he did so his intent was to cause serious injury.”

Reckless Behavior Before the Attack

The video indicated the driver was driving recklessly before he reached the city centre, undertaking cars at speed and jumping red lights. He disregarded traffic diversion measures and weaved around other vehicles, even emergency service vehicles, as he approached the packed streets.

Doyle is understood to be facing a jail term of over a decade at his sentencing hearing.