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A former Royal Marines Commando acted as a “man in a rage” as he drove into scores of LFC fans at a victory parade, an incident many initially feared to be a terrorist attack, a court has heard.

“The footage was truly shocking.”

Victims in the incident cried while dashcam footage showed bodies spinning through the air as he accelerated into crowds and shouted: “Get out of the way!”

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

‘Consumed by Anger’

The prosecution warned the court that the footage from Doyle’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy was “truly shocking”. It showed the parent shouting “expletives” and “move out of the way” as he drove towards hundreds of fans, with people frantically dragging children to safety as his car horn blared.

The court was told 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.

Scale of the Carnage

Overall, the former Royal Marine injured 134 people within a mere seven-minute span – including more than 50 requiring hospital care. A six-month-old boy was “remarkably” uninjured even though he was left on the roadway when Doyle’s car hit his pram, according to testimony.

One fan, a man named in court, was shown being thrown into the air by the vehicle, suffering a laceration on his head, rib fractures and multiple abrasions.

The defendant could be heard shouting “for God’s sake move! Get out of my path!” prior to driving deeper into panicked fans, among them an older woman and young children who became trapped beneath the vehicle.

Celebration Descends into Chaos

Speaking to a full court, lawyers said about 1 million people were present at “an event they believed to be a joyous occasion” marking Liverpool winning their 20th league title. Scenes of jubilation turned to “terror”, it was said, as Doyle drove into oncoming fans while trying to collect a companion who had been at the parade.

“Some at the scene thought that the events unfolding constituted a terrorist incident.”

Brave Intervention Stops Driver

As bodies lay on the ground, Doyle’s rampage was stopped by a former soldier, Dan Barr, who climbed into a rear passenger seat and forced the gearstick into park. Even then, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, according to evidence.

During questioning, Doyle stated he reacted in a “state of sheer panic” due to a fear for his safety. However, the prosecution argued that the dashcam footage showed the defendant “simply lost control in his determination to reach his destination”. It was further stated: “Consumed by anger, he drove into the crowd and in doing so his intent was to cause serious injury.”

Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident

The video indicated the driver was driving recklessly prior to entering downtown, overtaking cars dangerously and jumping red lights. He ignored traffic diversion measures and weaved around other vehicles, even emergency service vehicles, as he entered the crowds.

Doyle is expected to receive a prison sentence of over a decade when he is sentenced on Tuesday.