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A former Royal Marine acted as a “man in a rage” as he mowed down dozens of LFC supporters at a championship celebration, an incident many initially feared to be a act of terrorism, a court has heard.

“The footage was profoundly upsetting.”

Victims of Paul Doyle wept while video from the car’s camera depicted 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 29 victims, including eight minors.

‘A Man in a Rage’

Prosecutors warned those in court that the footage from the defendant’s large people carrier proved to be “truly shocking”. It showed the parent shouting “fucking pricks” and “fucking move” while he headed straight for a large crowd of supporters, some pulling children out of the way as he blasted the horn.

It was stated in court that Doyle acted as 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.

Extent of the Injuries

Overall, the ex-marine hurt 134 individuals within a mere seven-minute span – including more than 50 who needed hospital treatment. An infant was “remarkably” uninjured even though he was left on the roadway after the vehicle struck his stroller, the court heard.

A supporter, Simon Nash, was shown being thrown into the air by the vehicle, sustaining a laceration on his head, broken ribs and numerous scrapes.

The defendant was heard screaming “for God’s sake move! Get out my fucking way!” 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

Addressing a packed courtroom, lawyers said about 1 million people were present at “an event they believed to be a joyous occasion” marking the football club’s championship win. The celebratory atmosphere turned to “terror”, it was said, when the driver entered the crowd while trying to collect a companion who had been at the parade.

“Some at the scene believed what was taking place constituted a terrorist incident.”

Rampage Halted by Heroic Act

With injured people on the street, Doyle’s rampage was stopped by an ex-army member, 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.

During questioning, the defendant claimed he reacted in a “blind panic” because he feared for his life. However, prosecutors contended that the dashcam footage showed Doyle “just lost his temper in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to”. It was further stated: “Consumed by anger, he targeted the crowd and as he did so his intent was to cause serious injury.”

Reckless Behavior Before the Attack

The video showed the driver was driving recklessly before he reached the city centre, overtaking cars dangerously and jumping red lights. He disregarded traffic diversion measures and bypassed other vehicles, even emergency service vehicles, as he approached the packed streets.

The defendant is expected to receive a jail term of over a decade at his sentencing hearing.