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A former Royal Marine acted as a “man in a rage” when he drove into scores of Liverpool football club fans during a championship celebration, an incident many initially feared to be a terrorist attack, a court has heard.

“The footage was truly shocking.”

Those injured in the incident wept as dashcam footage showed people being thrown into the air while he sped towards the gathering and shouted: “Get out of the way!”

Doyle, 54, will learn his fate on Tuesday after pleading guilty on the first day of his trial last month to 31 criminal charges against 29 victims, including eight minors.

‘Consumed by Anger’

The prosecution stated the court that the footage from the defendant’s large people carrier proved to be “extremely graphic”. The recording revealed the parent shouting “fucking pricks” as well as “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 was a “individual whose anger whose anger had completely taken hold of him” as he continued driving into the mass of people, speeding up while individuals were struck by his vehicle.

Extent of the Injuries

In total, the former Royal Marine hurt 134 individuals within a mere seven-minute span – including more than 50 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.

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

Doyle could be heard shouting “for God’s sake move! Get out my fucking way!” prior to driving deeper into panicked fans, among them an older woman and young 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 day of joyfulness” marking Liverpool winning their 20th league title. The celebratory atmosphere turned to “horror”, it was said, as Doyle drove into oncoming fans as he attempted to pick up a friend who had been at the parade.

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

Brave Intervention Stops Driver

As bodies lay on the ground, 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 stated he acted in a “state of sheer panic” due to a fear for his safety. However, prosecutors contended that the dashcam footage showed the defendant “simply lost control in his determination to reach his destination”. It was further stated: “In a rage, he targeted the crowd and in doing so his intent was to cause serious injury.”

Reckless Behavior Before the Attack

Footage showed Doyle had been driving dangerously prior to entering downtown, undertaking cars at speed and running red lights. He disregarded road closures and weaved around other vehicles, even emergency service vehicles, as he approached the packed streets.

Doyle is understood to be facing a prison sentence of over a decade at his sentencing hearing.