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An ex- Royal Marines Commando acted as a “man in a rage” when he drove into scores of LFC fans at a victory parade, an incident many initially feared to be a act of terrorism, according to court proceedings.

“The video is truly shocking.”

Those injured of Paul Doyle cried as dashcam footage depicted people being thrown into the air while he sped towards the gathering while screaming: “Get out of the way!”

The 54-year-old defendant will learn his fate on Tuesday after pleading guilty on the first day of his trial last month to 31 criminal charges against 29 victims, including eight minors.

‘Consumed by Anger’

Prosecutors stated those in court that the video evidence from the defendant’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy was “extremely graphic”. It showed the father of three shouting “expletives” as well as “move out of the way” as he drove towards hundreds of fans, with people frantically dragging children to safety as he blasted the horn.

It was stated in court 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 ex-marine hurt 134 individuals within a mere seven-minute span – including more than 50 who needed hospital treatment. A six-month-old boy was “remarkably” uninjured despite being left splayed on the road when Doyle’s car hit his pram, according to testimony.

One fan, a man named in court, was seen being launched into the air by the car, suffering a laceration on his head, rib fractures and numerous scrapes.

The defendant could be heard shouting “for God’s sake move! Get out my fucking way!” prior to driving deeper into panicked fans, among them an older woman and young children who became trapped beneath the vehicle.

Celebration Descends into Chaos

Speaking to a full court, the prosecution said about 1 million people had attended “an event they believed to be a day of joyfulness” marking Liverpool winning their 20th league title. Scenes of jubilation swiftly became “horror”, it was said, as Doyle drove into oncoming fans while trying to collect a companion who had been at the parade.

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

Brave Intervention Stops Driver

With injured people on the street, the vehicle’s path was stopped by a former soldier, Dan Barr, who climbed into a rear passenger seat and forced the gearstick into park. Even then, Doyle continued pressing the gas pedal, the court heard.

In his police interview, the defendant claimed he reacted in a “state of sheer panic” due to a fear for his safety. However, prosecutors contended that the video showed the defendant “simply lost control in his determination to reach his destination”. The prosecutor added: “In a rage, he drove into the crowd and in doing so his intent was to cause serious injury.”

Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident

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

Doyle is understood to be facing a jail term of more than 10 years when he is sentenced on Tuesday.