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An ex- Royal Marine was a “man in a rage” as he mowed down scores of LFC fans during a victory parade, in what many feared was a act of terrorism, according to court proceedings.

“The footage was deeply disturbing.”

Victims of Paul Doyle wept while dashcam footage showed bodies spinning through the air as he accelerated into crowds and shouted: “Get out of the way!”

Doyle, 54, will learn his fate on Tuesday following his guilty plea on the first day of his trial last month to 31 offences against 29 victims, including eight minors.

‘Consumed by Anger’

The prosecution warned those in court that the footage from the defendant’s large people carrier proved to be “truly shocking”. The recording revealed the father of three yelling “expletives” and “move out of the way” as he drove towards a large crowd of supporters, with people frantically dragging children to safety as he blasted the horn.

The court was told that Doyle acted as a “man in a rage had completely overpowered him” as he ploughed further into the crowd, speeding up as people collided with his car.

Extent of the Injuries

In total, the former Royal Marine hurt 134 individuals in just seven minutes – including more than 50 who needed hospital treatment. An infant was “miraculously” unharmed even though he was left on the roadway 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 vehicle, sustaining a cut to the back of his head, broken ribs and numerous scrapes.

Doyle could be heard shouting “fuck’s sake move! Get out my fucking way!” prior to driving deeper 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 about 1 million people were present at “what they thought would be a joyous occasion” marking the football club’s championship win. Scenes of jubilation turned to “horror”, the prosecutor said, when the driver entered the crowd while trying to collect a companion who had been at the parade.

“Witnesses believed what was taking place was a terrorist attack.”

Brave Intervention Stops Driver

With injured people on the street, the vehicle’s path was brought to a halt by an ex-army member, Dan Barr, who climbed into a rear passenger seat and held the car’s gear selector in “park”. Despite this, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, according to evidence.

During questioning, the defendant stated he acted in a “state of sheer panic” due to a fear for his safety. Yet, the prosecution argued that the video demonstrated the defendant “just lost his temper in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to”. The prosecutor added: “In a rage, he drove into the crowd and as he did so his intent was to cause serious injury.”

Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident

The video indicated Doyle had been driving dangerously prior to entering downtown, overtaking cars dangerously and jumping red lights. He disregarded traffic diversion measures and bypassed other cars, even emergency service vehicles, as he approached the packed streets.

Doyle is understood to be facing a prison sentence of over a decade at his sentencing hearing.