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A former Royal Marine acted as a “man in a rage” when he drove into dozens of Liverpool football club fans during a victory parade, an incident many initially feared to be a act of terrorism, a court has heard.

“The footage is deeply disturbing.”

Victims of Paul Doyle cried while video from the car’s camera depicted people being thrown into the air while he sped towards the gathering while screaming: “Get out of the way!”

The 54-year-old defendant will learn his fate on Tuesday after pleading guilty on the first day of his trial last month to 31 criminal charges involving 29 victims, including eight minors.

‘A Man in a Rage’

The prosecution stated the court that the footage from Doyle’s large people carrier was “truly shocking”. It showed the father of three shouting “fucking pricks” as well as “fucking move” as he drove towards a large crowd of supporters, with people frantically dragging children to safety as he blasted the horn.

It was stated in court that Doyle acted as a “individual whose anger had completely overpowered him” as he continued driving into the mass of people, accelerating while individuals were struck by his vehicle.

Extent of the Injuries

Overall, the former Royal Marine injured 134 people in just seven minutes – including more than 50 requiring hospital care. An infant was “remarkably” unharmed even though he was left on the roadway when Doyle’s car hit his pram, according to testimony.

A supporter, Simon Nash, was seen being launched into the air by the car, sustaining a cut on his head, rib fractures and multiple abrasions.

Doyle could be heard shouting “fuck’s sake move! Get out of my path!” prior to driving deeper into screaming supporters, including an elderly woman and children who became trapped beneath the vehicle.

Celebration Descends into Chaos

Addressing a packed courtroom, the prosecution said about 1 million people had attended “what they thought would be a joyous occasion” to celebrate the football club’s championship win. Scenes of jubilation turned to “terror”, the prosecutor said, as Doyle drove into oncoming fans as he attempted to pick up a friend who had been at the parade.

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

Brave Intervention Stops Driver

With injured people on the street, Doyle’s rampage was stopped by an ex-army member, Dan Barr, who climbed into a rear passenger seat and held the car’s gear selector in “park”. Even then, Doyle continued pressing the gas pedal, according to evidence.

In his police interview, Doyle claimed he acted in a “state of sheer panic” because he feared for his life. Yet, prosecutors contended that the dashcam footage showed Doyle “just lost his temper in his determination to reach his destination”. It was further stated: “Consumed by anger, he targeted the crowd and in doing so he intended to cause them serious harm.”

Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident

The video showed Doyle had been driving dangerously before he reached the city centre, overtaking cars dangerously and running red lights. He disregarded road closures and bypassed other cars, 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.