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A former Royal Marine was a “man in a rage” when he drove into scores of LFC fans at a championship celebration, in what many feared was a terrorist attack, a court has heard.

“The footage is deeply disturbing.”

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

Doyle, 54, is due to be sentenced on Tuesday following his guilty plea at the start of his trial last month to 31 offences involving 21 adults and eight children.

‘Consumed by Anger’

The prosecution warned the court that the video evidence from Doyle’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy proved to be “extremely graphic”. It showed the parent yelling “expletives” as well as “move out of the way” as he drove towards hundreds of fans, some pulling children out of the way as he blasted the horn.

The court was told that Doyle was a “man in a rage had completely overpowered 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 – including more than 50 who needed hospital treatment. An infant was “remarkably” uninjured even though he was left on the roadway after the vehicle struck his stroller, the court heard.

A supporter, Simon Nash, was shown being thrown into the air by the vehicle, suffering a laceration to the back of his head, rib fractures and multiple abrasions.

Doyle could be heard shouting “fuck’s sake move! Get out of my path!” prior to driving deeper into panicked fans, among them an older woman and young 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 “an event they believed to be a day of joyfulness” to celebrate Liverpool winning their 20th league title. Scenes of jubilation turned to “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 thought that the events unfolding constituted a terrorist incident.”

Rampage Halted by Heroic Act

As bodies lay on the ground, 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”. Despite this, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, according to evidence.

During questioning, Doyle claimed he acted in a “blind panic” because he feared for his life. However, the prosecution argued that the dashcam footage demonstrated Doyle “just lost his temper in his determination to reach his destination”. The prosecutor added: “In a rage, 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 prior to entering downtown, overtaking cars dangerously and running red lights. He ignored traffic diversion measures and bypassed other cars, including an ambulance and police cars, 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.