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An ex- Royal Marines Commando acted as a “man in a rage” as he drove into scores of Liverpool football club supporters at a victory parade, in what many feared was a terrorist attack, a court has heard.

“The footage is deeply disturbing.”

Those injured of Paul Doyle wept as dashcam footage 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 after pleading guilty on the first day of his trial last month to 31 offences involving 21 adults and eight children.

‘Consumed by Anger’

The prosecution warned those in court that the footage from Doyle’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy was “truly shocking”. It showed the parent shouting “expletives” as well as “fucking move” as he drove towards hundreds of fans, 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 as people collided with his car.

Extent of the Injuries

In total, the ex-marine hurt 134 individuals in just seven minutes – including more than 50 who needed hospital treatment. An infant was “miraculously” uninjured 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 seen being launched into the air by the vehicle, suffering a cut on his head, broken ribs and multiple abrasions.

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

Scene of Jubilation Turns to Horror

Addressing a packed courtroom, the prosecution said about 1 million people were present at “an event they believed to be a day of joyfulness” marking Liverpool winning their 20th league title. The celebratory atmosphere swiftly became “horror”, the prosecutor said, as Doyle drove into oncoming fans while trying to collect a companion from the parade route.

“Some at the scene thought that the events unfolding constituted a terrorist incident.”

Rampage Halted by Heroic Act

With injured people on the street, the vehicle’s path was stopped by a former soldier, Dan Barr, who entered the back of the car and forced the gearstick into park. Even then, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, according to evidence.

During questioning, the defendant claimed he reacted in a “blind panic” because he feared for his life. However, prosecutors contended that the dashcam footage showed Doyle “just lost his temper in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to”. It was further stated: “In a rage, he drove into the crowd and in doing so his intent was to cause serious injury.”

Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident

The video showed the driver was driving recklessly before he reached the city centre, overtaking cars dangerously and running red lights. He disregarded road closures and bypassed other cars, even emergency service vehicles, as he approached the packed streets.

The defendant is expected to receive a prison sentence of more than 10 years at his sentencing hearing.