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A former Royal Marine was a “man in a rage” when he drove into dozens of Liverpool football club fans during a championship celebration, in what many feared was a act of terrorism, a court has heard.

“The video is deeply disturbing.”

Those injured in the incident cried while video from the car’s camera depicted 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 offences involving 21 adults and eight children.

‘Consumed by Anger’

Prosecutors warned the court that the footage from Doyle’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy was “extremely graphic”. It showed the parent shouting “expletives” as well as “fucking move” while he headed straight for hundreds of fans, with people frantically dragging children to safety as his car horn blared.

The court was told that Doyle acted as 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 injured 134 individuals in just seven minutes – with over fifty requiring hospital care. An infant was “miraculously” uninjured despite being left splayed on the road when Doyle’s car hit his pram, the court heard.

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

The defendant was heard screaming “fuck’s sake move! Get out of my path!” 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 “what they thought would be a day of joyfulness” marking the football club’s championship win. The celebratory atmosphere turned to “terror”, it was said, when the driver entered the crowd as he attempted to pick up a friend from the parade route.

“Witnesses thought that the events unfolding constituted a terrorist incident.”

Brave Intervention Stops Driver

With injured people on the street, 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”. Despite this, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, the court heard.

During questioning, the defendant stated he reacted in a “blind panic” because he feared for his life. Yet, prosecutors contended that the dashcam footage demonstrated the defendant “simply lost control in his determination to reach his destination”. The prosecutor added: “Consumed by anger, he drove into the crowd and as he did so he intended to cause them serious harm.”

Reckless Behavior Before the Attack

Footage showed the driver had been driving dangerously before he reached the city centre, overtaking cars dangerously and running red lights. He ignored traffic diversion measures and weaved around other cars, including an ambulance and police cars, as he entered the crowds.

Doyle is understood to be facing a jail term of more than 10 years at his sentencing hearing.