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A former Royal Marines Commando was a “person consumed by fury” as he drove into scores of Liverpool football club fans at a championship celebration, an incident many initially feared to be a act of terrorism, according to court proceedings.

“The video was truly shocking.”

Victims in the incident cried as dashcam footage depicted people being thrown into the air as he accelerated into crowds and shouted: “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 criminal charges involving 29 victims, including eight minors.

‘Consumed by Anger’

Prosecutors stated those in court that the footage from Doyle’s large people carrier proved to be “extremely graphic”. The recording revealed the father of three shouting “fucking pricks” as well as “fucking move” as he drove towards a large crowd of supporters, some pulling children out of the way as his car horn blared.

It was stated in court that Doyle acted as a “individual whose anger whose anger had completely taken hold of him” as he ploughed further into the crowd, accelerating as people collided with his car.

Scale of the Carnage

In total, the ex-marine hurt 134 people within a mere seven-minute span – with over fifty requiring hospital care. A six-month-old boy was “remarkably” uninjured even though he was left on the roadway when Doyle’s car hit his pram, the court heard.

One fan, a man named in court, was seen being launched into the air by the vehicle, suffering a laceration to the back of his head, broken ribs and multiple abrasions.

The defendant could be heard shouting “fuck’s sake move! Get out of my path!” before ploughing further into panicked fans, including an elderly woman and 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 day of joyfulness” to celebrate Liverpool winning their 20th league title. Scenes of jubilation turned to “horror”, the prosecutor said, as Doyle drove into oncoming fans while trying to collect a companion who had been at the parade.

“Witnesses believed what was taking place constituted a terrorist incident.”

Rampage Halted by Heroic Act

As bodies lay on the ground, Doyle’s rampage was stopped by a former soldier, a man identified in court, who entered the back of the car and held the car’s gear selector in “park”. Even then, Doyle continued pressing the gas pedal, the court heard.

During questioning, the defendant claimed he reacted in a “state of sheer panic” due to a fear for his safety. Yet, prosecutors contended that the dashcam footage showed the defendant “simply lost control in his determination to reach his destination”. The prosecutor added: “In a rage, he targeted the crowd and in doing so his intent was to cause serious injury.”

Reckless Behavior Before the Attack

The video indicated the driver had been driving dangerously before he reached the city centre, undertaking cars at speed 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.

The defendant is expected to receive a prison sentence of more than 10 years at his sentencing hearing.