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An ex- Royal Marines Commando acted as a “man in a rage” as he mowed down scores of Liverpool football club fans at a victory parade, an incident many initially feared to be a terrorist attack, a court has heard.

“The video was deeply disturbing.”

Victims in the incident cried as dashcam footage depicted bodies spinning through the air as he accelerated into crowds 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 criminal charges against 21 adults and eight children.

‘A Man in a Rage’

The prosecution stated those in court that the footage from Doyle’s large people carrier proved to be “truly shocking”. It showed the father of three shouting “expletives” and “fucking move” 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 “man in a rage whose anger had completely taken hold of him” as he ploughed further into the crowd, speeding up as people collided with his car.

Extent of the Injuries

Overall, the former Royal Marine hurt 134 individuals in just seven minutes – 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, according to testimony.

One fan, a man named in court, was seen being launched into the air by the car, suffering a laceration to the back of his head, rib fractures and multiple abrasions.

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

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 who had been at the parade.

“Witnesses believed the events unfolding was a terrorist attack.”

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, according to evidence.

During questioning, the defendant claimed he acted in a “state of sheer panic” because he feared for his life. Yet, the prosecution argued that the video demonstrated Doyle “just lost his temper in his determination to reach his destination”. The prosecutor added: “Consumed by anger, 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 before he reached the city centre, overtaking cars dangerously and running red lights. He disregarded road closures and bypassed other vehicles, even emergency service vehicles, as he entered the crowds.

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