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A former Royal Marine was a “person consumed by fury” when he mowed down scores of LFC fans during a championship celebration, an incident many initially feared to be a terrorist attack, a court has heard.

“The video is deeply disturbing.”

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

Doyle, 54, is due to be sentenced on Tuesday after pleading guilty at the start of his trial last month to 31 criminal charges involving 21 adults and eight children.

‘Consumed by Anger’

The prosecution stated the court that the footage from the defendant’s large people carrier proved to be “truly shocking”. It showed the father of three yelling “fucking pricks” as well as “move out of the way” while he headed straight for a large crowd of supporters, some pulling children out of the way 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, accelerating as people collided with his car.

Scale of the Carnage

Overall, the ex-marine injured 134 people within a mere seven-minute span – including more than 50 who needed hospital treatment. A six-month-old boy was “remarkably” unharmed 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 shown being thrown into the air by the car, suffering a cut to the back of his head, rib fractures and multiple abrasions.

Doyle was heard screaming “fuck’s sake move! Get out of my path!” prior to driving deeper into screaming supporters, among them an older woman and young children who became trapped beneath the vehicle.

Celebration Descends into Chaos

Addressing a packed courtroom, lawyers 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. The celebratory atmosphere swiftly became “terror”, the prosecutor said, when the driver entered the crowd while trying to collect a companion from the parade route.

“Some at the scene thought that what was taking place was a terrorist attack.”

Rampage Halted by Heroic Act

With injured people on the street, the vehicle’s path was stopped by an ex-army member, Dan Barr, who entered the back of the car and forced the gearstick into park. Despite this, 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 demonstrated the defendant “simply lost control in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to”. It was further stated: “Consumed by anger, 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 before he reached the city centre, undertaking cars at speed and jumping red lights. He disregarded road closures and weaved around other vehicles, even emergency service vehicles, as he approached the packed streets.

The defendant is understood to be facing a jail term of over a decade when he is sentenced on Tuesday.