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An ex- Royal Marine was a “man in a rage” as he mowed down scores of Liverpool football club fans at a championship celebration, an incident many initially feared to be a act of terrorism, a court has heard.

“The video was profoundly upsetting.”

Those injured of Paul Doyle cried as dashcam footage depicted bodies spinning through the air while he sped towards the gathering while screaming: “Get out of the way!”

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

‘Consumed by Anger’

The prosecution stated the court that the video evidence from the defendant’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy proved to be “truly shocking”. It showed the father of three shouting “fucking pricks” as well as “fucking move” while he headed straight for hundreds of fans, some pulling children out of the way as his car horn blared.

It was stated in court 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

Overall, the ex-marine injured 134 people in just seven minutes – with over fifty requiring hospital care. A six-month-old boy was “remarkably” uninjured even though he was left on the roadway after the vehicle struck his stroller, the court heard.

One fan, Simon Nash, was shown being thrown into the air by the vehicle, suffering a laceration on his head, broken ribs and numerous scrapes.

Doyle 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 were dragged under the car.

Scene of Jubilation Turns to Horror

Speaking to a full court, lawyers said approximately a million individuals had attended “what they thought would be a joyous occasion” marking Liverpool winning their 20th league title. The celebratory atmosphere turned to “horror”, it was said, when the driver entered the crowd while trying to collect a companion who had been at the parade.

“Witnesses believed the events unfolding was a terrorist attack.”

Rampage Halted by Heroic Act

With injured people on the street, the vehicle’s path was stopped 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 kept his foot on the accelerator, according to evidence.

In his police interview, the defendant stated he reacted in a “blind panic” because he feared for his life. Yet, prosecutors contended that the video showed the defendant “simply lost control in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to”. 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, overtaking cars dangerously and running red lights. He ignored 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 over a decade when he is sentenced on Tuesday.