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A former Royal Marines Commando acted as a “man in a rage” as he drove into dozens of LFC supporters during a victory parade, an incident many initially feared to be a act of terrorism, a court has heard.

“The footage is truly shocking.”

Those injured of Paul Doyle cried while video from the car’s camera depicted people being thrown into the air as he accelerated into crowds and shouted: “Get out of the way!”

The 54-year-old defendant will learn his fate on Tuesday after pleading guilty at the start of his trial last month to 31 offences against 21 adults and eight children.

‘Consumed by Anger’

Prosecutors stated those in court that the video evidence from the defendant’s large people carrier proved to be “truly shocking”. The recording revealed the father of three yelling “fucking pricks” and “move out of the way” as he drove towards hundreds of fans, some pulling children out of the way as his car horn blared.

It was stated in court that Doyle acted as a “individual whose anger had completely overpowered him” as he ploughed further into the crowd, accelerating as people collided with his car.

Extent of the Injuries

In total, the former Royal Marine hurt 134 people within a mere seven-minute span – including more than 50 who needed hospital treatment. A six-month-old boy 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 seen being launched into the air by the vehicle, sustaining a cut on his head, rib fractures and multiple abrasions.

The defendant was heard screaming “for God’s sake move! Get out my fucking way!” prior to driving deeper into screaming supporters, among them an older woman and young children who became trapped beneath the vehicle.

Scene of Jubilation Turns to Horror

Addressing a packed courtroom, lawyers said approximately a million individuals had attended “an event they believed to be a joyous occasion” marking the football club’s championship win. Scenes of jubilation swiftly became “horror”, the prosecutor said, when the driver entered the crowd as he attempted to pick up a friend from the parade route.

“Witnesses thought that the events unfolding constituted a terrorist incident.”

Rampage Halted by Heroic Act

With injured people on the street, Doyle’s rampage was brought to a halt by a former soldier, Dan Barr, who climbed into a rear passenger seat and held the car’s gear selector in “park”. Despite this, Doyle continued pressing the gas pedal, according to evidence.

In his police interview, the defendant stated he reacted in a “state of sheer panic” due to a fear for his safety. Yet, prosecutors contended that the dashcam footage showed Doyle “simply lost control in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to”. The prosecutor added: “In a rage, he targeted the crowd and in doing so his intent was to cause serious injury.”

Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident

The video indicated Doyle had been driving dangerously before he reached the city centre, undertaking cars at speed and running red lights. He disregarded road closures and bypassed other cars, even emergency service vehicles, as he approached the packed streets.

Doyle is expected to receive a jail term of more than 10 years at his sentencing hearing.