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A former Royal Marines Commando acted as a “man in a rage” as he drove into dozens of Liverpool football club supporters during a championship celebration, an incident many initially feared to be a act of terrorism, a court has heard.

“The video was deeply disturbing.”

Victims of Paul Doyle cried while video from the car’s camera depicted 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 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 the court that the footage from Doyle’s large people carrier was “extremely graphic”. It showed the father of three shouting “fucking pricks” and “fucking move” as he drove towards a large crowd of supporters, with people frantically dragging children to safety as his car horn blared.

The court was told that Doyle acted as a “individual whose anger had completely overpowered him” as he continued driving into the mass of people, speeding up as people collided with his car.

Scale of the Carnage

In total, the ex-marine hurt 134 individuals in just seven minutes – including more than 50 requiring hospital care. A six-month-old boy was “miraculously” uninjured 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, sustaining a cut to the back of his head, rib fractures and numerous scrapes.

The defendant was heard screaming “fuck’s sake move! Get out of my path!” before ploughing further into screaming supporters, including an elderly woman and 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 “what they thought would be a joyous occasion” to celebrate the football club’s championship win. Scenes of jubilation swiftly became “horror”, it was said, as Doyle drove into oncoming fans while trying to collect a companion from the parade route.

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

Rampage Halted by Heroic Act

As bodies lay on the ground, Doyle’s rampage was brought to a halt by a former soldier, a man identified in court, who climbed into a rear passenger seat and held the car’s gear selector in “park”. Even then, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, the court heard.

In his police interview, Doyle stated he reacted in a “blind panic” due to a fear for his safety. Yet, the prosecution argued that the dashcam footage demonstrated the defendant “just lost his temper 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

The video showed Doyle had been driving dangerously prior to entering downtown, undertaking cars at speed and jumping red lights. He ignored road closures and weaved around other vehicles, including an ambulance and police cars, as he approached the packed streets.

Doyle is understood to be facing a jail term of more than 10 years at his sentencing hearing.