Driver That Drove Through LFC Victory Parade Described as ‘Consumed by Rage’, Trial Hears.
An ex- Royal Marine was a “man in a rage” when he drove into dozens of LFC supporters during a victory parade, an incident many initially feared to be a terrorist attack, a court has heard.
“The footage was deeply disturbing.”
Victims in the incident wept 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 is due to be sentenced on Tuesday following his guilty plea on the first day of his trial last month to 31 offences involving 21 adults and eight children.
‘Consumed by Anger’
Prosecutors warned those in court that the video evidence from Doyle’s large people carrier was “extremely graphic”. The recording revealed the father of three yelling “fucking pricks” as well as “move out of the way” as he drove towards hundreds of fans, with people frantically dragging children to safety as he blasted the horn.
The court was told that Doyle was a “individual whose anger whose anger had completely taken hold of him” as he continued driving into the mass of people, accelerating as people collided with his car.
Scale of the Carnage
In total, the former Royal Marine injured 134 individuals in just seven minutes – with over fifty who needed hospital treatment. A six-month-old boy was “miraculously” unharmed despite being left splayed on the road when Doyle’s car hit his pram, according to testimony.
A supporter, Simon Nash, was seen being launched into the air by the car, suffering a laceration on his head, rib fractures and multiple abrasions.
The defendant was heard screaming “for God’s sake move! Get out of my path!” prior to driving deeper into panicked fans, including an elderly woman and children who were dragged under the car.
Celebration Descends into Chaos
Speaking to a full court, lawyers said approximately a million individuals had attended “an event they believed to be a day of joyfulness” to celebrate the football club’s championship win. Scenes of jubilation swiftly became “horror”, the prosecutor said, as Doyle drove into oncoming fans as he attempted to pick up a friend from the parade route.
“Some at the scene thought that the events unfolding constituted a terrorist incident.”
Rampage Halted by Heroic Act
With injured people on the street, the vehicle’s path was stopped by a former soldier, a man identified in court, who entered the back of the car and held the car’s gear selector in “park”. Even then, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, the court heard.
In his police interview, Doyle stated he reacted in a “state of sheer panic” due to a fear for his safety. Yet, prosecutors contended 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 targeted the crowd and in doing so his intent was to cause serious injury.”
Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident
Footage showed the driver had been driving dangerously prior to entering downtown, overtaking cars dangerously and jumping red lights. He disregarded traffic diversion measures and weaved around other cars, even emergency service vehicles, as he entered the crowds.
The defendant is expected to receive a prison sentence of more than 10 years when he is sentenced on Tuesday.
