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A former Royal Marine was a “man in a rage” as he drove into scores of Liverpool football club fans during a championship celebration, in what many feared was a terrorist attack, a court has heard.

“The video is truly shocking.”

Victims of Paul Doyle wept as dashcam footage depicted people being thrown into the air while he sped towards the gathering while screaming: “Get out of the way!”

Doyle, 54, is due to be sentenced on Tuesday after pleading guilty on the first day of his trial last month to 31 offences against 29 victims, including eight minors.

‘A Man in a Rage’

The prosecution stated the court that the video evidence from Doyle’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy proved to be “truly shocking”. The recording revealed the parent yelling “fucking pricks” as well as “fucking move” while he headed straight for 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 “man in a rage whose anger had completely taken hold of him” as he continued driving into the mass of people, speeding up as people collided with his car.

Extent of the Injuries

In total, the ex-marine injured 134 people within a mere seven-minute span – with over fifty requiring hospital care. An infant was “remarkably” unharmed despite being left splayed on the road when Doyle’s car hit his pram, the court heard.

One fan, Simon Nash, was shown being thrown into the air by the vehicle, suffering a cut to the back of his head, broken ribs and multiple abrasions.

The defendant was heard screaming “for God’s sake move! Get out of my path!” before ploughing further into screaming supporters, among them an older woman and young children who were dragged under the car.

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 swiftly became “terror”, it was said, as Doyle drove into oncoming fans while trying to collect a companion from the parade route.

“Witnesses thought that what was taking place was a terrorist attack.”

Rampage Halted by Heroic Act

With injured people on the street, Doyle’s rampage was stopped by an ex-army member, Dan Barr, who entered the back of the car and held the car’s gear selector in “park”. Despite this, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, according to evidence.

In his police interview, Doyle stated he reacted in a “blind panic” because he feared for his life. Yet, the prosecution argued 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 drove into the crowd and in doing so his intent was to cause serious injury.”

Reckless Behavior Before the Attack

Footage indicated Doyle had been driving dangerously prior to entering downtown, undertaking cars at speed and jumping red lights. He disregarded traffic diversion measures and bypassed other cars, including an ambulance and police cars, as he entered the crowds.

Doyle is understood to be facing a prison sentence of more than 10 years when he is sentenced on Tuesday.