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An ex- Royal Marine was a “person consumed by fury” when he drove into dozens of LFC fans at a championship celebration, in what many feared was a terrorist attack, a court has heard.

“The footage is profoundly upsetting.”

Victims in the incident wept as video from the car’s camera showed people being thrown into the air while he sped towards the gathering while screaming: “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 against 21 adults and eight children.

‘A Man in a Rage’

The prosecution warned the court that the video evidence from the defendant’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy proved to be “truly shocking”. It showed the father of three yelling “fucking pricks” and “fucking move” as he drove towards a large crowd of supporters, with people frantically dragging children to safety as he blasted the horn.

It was stated in court that Doyle acted as a “man in a rage had completely overpowered him” as he continued driving into the mass of people, speeding up while individuals were struck by his vehicle.

Extent of the Injuries

Overall, the former Royal Marine hurt 134 people within a mere seven-minute span – with over fifty who needed hospital treatment. An infant was “miraculously” unharmed even though he was left on the roadway after the vehicle struck his stroller, the court heard.

A supporter, Simon Nash, was seen being launched into the air by the vehicle, sustaining a laceration on his head, rib fractures and numerous scrapes.

Doyle was heard screaming “fuck’s sake move! Get out of my path!” 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 “what they thought would be a joyous occasion” to celebrate the football club’s championship win. The celebratory atmosphere turned to “terror”, it was said, when the driver entered the crowd while trying to collect a companion who had been at the parade.

“Witnesses believed what was taking place constituted a terrorist incident.”

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 forced the gearstick into park. Even then, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, according to evidence.

In his police interview, Doyle claimed he acted in a “state of sheer panic” because he feared for his life. However, the prosecution argued that the video demonstrated Doyle “simply lost control in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to”. 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 Doyle was driving recklessly prior to entering downtown, undertaking cars at speed and jumping red lights. He disregarded traffic diversion measures and weaved around other vehicles, including an ambulance and police cars, as he approached the packed streets.

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