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A former Royal Marines Commando acted as a “man in a rage” when he mowed down dozens of LFC supporters at a victory parade, in what many feared was a terrorist attack, a court has heard.

“The footage was profoundly upsetting.”

Victims of Paul Doyle wept as dashcam footage showed bodies spinning through the air while he sped towards the gathering and shouted: “Get out of the way!”

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

‘Consumed by Anger’

Prosecutors stated those in court that the video evidence from Doyle’s large people carrier was “extremely graphic”. The recording revealed the parent shouting “expletives” and “fucking move” while he headed straight for a large crowd of supporters, some pulling children out of the way as his car horn blared.

It was stated in court that Doyle was a “individual whose anger whose anger had completely taken hold of 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 individuals in just seven minutes – with over fifty who needed hospital treatment. An infant was “miraculously” unharmed even though he was left on the roadway when Doyle’s car hit his pram, the court heard.

A supporter, a man named in court, was shown being thrown into the air by the car, sustaining a laceration to the back of his head, rib fractures and numerous scrapes.

Doyle could be heard shouting “fuck’s sake move! Get out my fucking way!” before ploughing further into panicked fans, including an elderly woman and children who became trapped beneath the vehicle.

Celebration Descends into Chaos

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

“Some at the scene thought that what was taking place constituted a terrorist incident.”

Brave Intervention Stops Driver

With injured people on the street, the vehicle’s path was brought to a halt by a former soldier, a man identified in court, who entered the back of the car and forced the gearstick into park. Despite this, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, the court heard.

In his police interview, Doyle claimed he reacted in a “state of sheer panic” because he feared for his life. Yet, the prosecution argued that the video showed the defendant “simply lost control in his determination to reach his destination”. The prosecutor added: “Consumed by anger, he targeted the crowd and as he did so he intended to cause them serious harm.”

Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident

Footage showed Doyle had been driving dangerously 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 at his sentencing hearing.