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A former Royal Marine was a “person consumed by fury” when he mowed down dozens of Liverpool football club supporters at a championship celebration, an incident many initially feared to be a act of terrorism, according to court proceedings.

“The footage was deeply disturbing.”

Victims in the incident wept as video from the car’s camera showed bodies spinning through the air while he sped towards the gathering and shouted: “Fucking hell, move!”

Doyle, 54, will learn his fate on Tuesday after pleading guilty at the start of his trial last month to 31 criminal charges against 21 adults and eight children.

‘Consumed by Anger’

Prosecutors stated the court that the video evidence from the defendant’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy proved to be “extremely graphic”. It showed the father of three shouting “expletives” as well as “fucking move” while he headed straight for 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 had completely overpowered him” as he ploughed further into the crowd, accelerating as people collided with his car.

Extent of the Injuries

Overall, the former Royal Marine injured 134 individuals in just seven minutes – including more than 50 requiring hospital care. An infant was “miraculously” uninjured despite being left splayed on the road after the vehicle struck his stroller, according to testimony.

One fan, a man named in court, was shown being thrown into the air by the car, sustaining a cut to the back of his head, broken ribs and numerous scrapes.

The defendant was heard screaming “for God’s sake move! Get out of my path!” prior to driving deeper into screaming supporters, among them an older woman and young children who were dragged under the car.

Celebration Descends into Chaos

Speaking to a full court, lawyers said approximately a million individuals had attended “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, when the driver entered the crowd as he attempted to pick up a friend who had been at the parade.

“Some at the scene thought that 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, Dan Barr, who entered the back of the car and held the car’s gear selector in “park”. Even then, Doyle continued pressing the gas pedal, the court heard.

In his police interview, the defendant claimed he acted in a “blind panic” because he feared for his life. Yet, prosecutors contended that the dashcam footage showed the defendant “simply lost control in his determination to reach his destination”. The prosecutor added: “Consumed by anger, he drove into the crowd and in doing so he intended to cause them serious harm.”

Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident

The video indicated the driver was driving recklessly before he reached the city centre, undertaking cars at speed and running red lights. He disregarded traffic diversion measures and weaved around other cars, including an ambulance and police cars, as he entered the crowds.

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