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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 at a championship celebration, an incident many initially feared to be a terrorist attack, according to court proceedings.

“The video is truly shocking.”

Victims of Paul Doyle wept while video from the car’s camera showed people being thrown into the air while he sped towards the gathering and shouted: “Fucking hell, move!”

Doyle, 54, will learn his fate on Tuesday following his guilty plea at the start of his trial last month to 31 criminal charges against 29 victims, including eight minors.

‘A Man in a Rage’

The prosecution stated those in court that the footage from the defendant’s large people carrier was “truly shocking”. The recording revealed the father of three yelling “fucking pricks” as well as “move out of the way” as he drove towards hundreds of fans, some pulling children out of the way as his car horn blared.

The court was told that Doyle was a “man in a rage 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.

Scale of the Carnage

In total, the former Royal Marine hurt 134 people within a mere seven-minute span – with over fifty requiring hospital care. A six-month-old boy was “remarkably” unharmed even though he was left on the roadway when Doyle’s car hit his pram, the court heard.

One fan, a man named in court, was shown being thrown into the air by the vehicle, suffering a laceration on his head, broken ribs and multiple abrasions.

The defendant was heard screaming “fuck’s sake move! Get out of my path!” before ploughing further into panicked fans, among them an older woman and young children who were dragged under the car.

Celebration Descends into Chaos

Addressing a packed courtroom, the prosecution said approximately a million individuals were present at “an event they believed to be a joyous occasion” to celebrate Liverpool winning their 20th league title. 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.

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

Brave Intervention Stops Driver

As bodies lay on the ground, the vehicle’s path was stopped by an ex-army member, Dan Barr, who climbed into a rear passenger seat and forced the gearstick into park. Despite this, Doyle continued pressing the gas pedal, according to evidence.

In his police interview, Doyle stated he reacted in a “state of sheer panic” due to a fear for his safety. However, prosecutors contended that the dashcam footage demonstrated the defendant “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 as he did so his intent was to cause serious injury.”

Reckless Behavior Before the Attack

The video indicated the driver had been driving dangerously prior to entering downtown, undertaking cars at speed and running red lights. He ignored road closures and bypassed other cars, even emergency service vehicles, as he approached the packed streets.

Doyle is expected to receive a jail term of more than 10 years when he is sentenced on Tuesday.