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An ex- Royal Marines Commando acted as a “man in a rage” as he drove into scores of LFC supporters during a championship celebration, an incident many initially feared to be a terrorist attack, a court has heard.

“The video was truly shocking.”

Victims of Paul Doyle wept while video from the car’s camera showed bodies spinning through the air as he accelerated into crowds while screaming: “Get out of the way!”

The 54-year-old defendant 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’

Prosecutors stated those in court that the video evidence from the defendant’s large people carrier proved to be “extremely graphic”. It showed the parent shouting “fucking pricks” and “move out of the way” while he headed straight for a large crowd of supporters, with people frantically dragging children to safety as he blasted the horn.

It was stated in court that Doyle was a “man in a rage whose anger had completely taken hold of him” as he ploughed further into the crowd, accelerating as people collided with his car.

Scale of the Carnage

In total, the ex-marine hurt 134 people within a mere seven-minute span – with over fifty requiring hospital care. A six-month-old boy was “miraculously” unharmed even though he was left on the roadway when Doyle’s car hit his pram, the court heard.

One fan, Simon Nash, was seen being launched into the air by the vehicle, suffering a cut on his head, broken ribs and numerous scrapes.

The defendant was heard screaming “fuck’s sake move! Get out my fucking way!” prior to driving deeper into panicked fans, among them an older woman and young children who were dragged under the car.

Scene of Jubilation Turns to Horror

Speaking to a full court, lawyers said about 1 million people had attended “an event they believed to be a joyous occasion” marking the football club’s championship win. The celebratory atmosphere turned to “terror”, it was 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 was a terrorist attack.”

Brave Intervention Stops Driver

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”. Even then, Doyle continued pressing the gas pedal, the court heard.

During questioning, Doyle stated he reacted in a “blind panic” because he feared for his life. However, the prosecution argued that the dashcam footage demonstrated 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 he intended to cause them serious harm.”

Reckless Behavior Before the Attack

Footage showed the driver had been driving dangerously prior to entering downtown, undertaking cars at speed and jumping red lights. He disregarded road closures and weaved around other vehicles, including an ambulance and police cars, as he entered the crowds.

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