A man who drove a two-tonne people carrier into a crowd of Liverpool Football Club supporters during a victory parade was "in a rage", a court has been told. The incident, which left 134 people injured, caused many to fear they were caught in a terrorist attack.
Shocking Footage Reveals Carnage
Victims wept in Liverpool Crown Court on Monday as prosecutors played dashcam footage from the Ford Galaxy driven by Paul Doyle. The video, described as "truly shocking" by prosecuting barrister Paul Greaney KC, showed bodies spinning through the air as the 54-year-old accelerated into the celebrating fans.
The footage captured Doyle screaming "Fucking hell, move!" and "fucking pricks" as he ploughed towards hundreds of people. Parents were seen desperately pulling children out of the path of the vehicle as he blasted the horn. Greaney stated Doyle was a "man in a rage whose anger had completely taken hold of him".
Scale of the Injuries and Heroic Intervention
The former Royal Marine injured 134 people in just seven minutes during the rampage on 26 May. More than 50 of those required hospital treatment. Among the victims was a six-month-old boy who was "remarkably" unharmed after being thrown from his pram onto the road.
One fan, Simon Nash, was thrown into the air, suffering a head laceration, fractured ribs and multiple abrasions. The oldest victim, a 77-year-old woman, sustained multiple fractures after being trapped under the car alongside an 11-year-old boy and two others.
The attack only ended when former soldier Dan Barr 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.
Day of Celebration Turns to Horror
Greaney told the court that approximately 1 million people had gathered for what was meant to be a joyful celebration of Liverpool winning their 20th league title. The scenes of jubilation turned to "horror" as Doyle drove into oncoming fans. He was attempting to pick up a friend who had been at the parade.
"Some at the scene thought that what was taking place was a terrorist attack," Greaney said. The prosecutor dismissed Doyle's claim to police that he acted in a "blind panic", arguing the footage showed he "just lost his temper". Greaney concluded that Doyle, "in a rage, drove into the crowd and as he did so he intended to cause them serious harm".
The video also revealed Doyle had been driving dangerously before reaching the city centre, undertaking at speed and jumping red lights. He ignored traffic diversions and bypassed emergency vehicles. Doyle, from Croxteth in Liverpool, held his head in his hands and sobbed in the dock as the evidence was presented.
Having pleaded guilty last month to 31 offences against 21 adults and eight children on the first day of his trial, Paul Doyle is due to be sentenced on Tuesday and is understood to be facing a jail term of more than 10 years.
