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A former Royal Marine was a “person consumed by fury” when he mowed down dozens of Liverpool football club supporters at a championship celebration, in what many feared was a terrorist attack, a court has heard.

“The video is truly shocking.”

Those injured of Paul Doyle wept as video from the car’s camera showed bodies spinning through the air while he sped towards the gathering and shouted: “Fucking hell, move!”

The 54-year-old defendant will learn his fate on Tuesday after pleading guilty on the first day of his trial last month to 31 offences involving 21 adults and eight children.

‘Consumed by Anger’

The prosecution stated those in court that the video evidence from the defendant’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy was “extremely graphic”. It showed the parent yelling “fucking pricks” as well as “move out of the way” while he headed straight for a large crowd of supporters, with people frantically dragging children to safety as his car horn blared.

The court was told that Doyle was a “individual whose anger had completely overpowered him” as he continued driving into the mass of people, accelerating while individuals were struck by his vehicle.

Scale of the Carnage

In total, the former Royal Marine injured 134 people within a mere seven-minute span – 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, according to testimony.

A supporter, 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 multiple abrasions.

Doyle could be heard shouting “fuck’s sake move! Get out my fucking way!” before ploughing further 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 approximately a million individuals had attended “an event they believed to be a day of joyfulness” marking Liverpool winning their 20th league title. Scenes of jubilation swiftly became “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 believed what was taking place was a terrorist attack.”

Rampage Halted by Heroic Act

With injured people on the street, 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 kept his foot on the accelerator, the court heard.

During questioning, the defendant stated he reacted in a “state of sheer panic” due to a fear for his safety. Yet, the prosecution argued that the dashcam footage showed Doyle “just lost his temper in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to”. It was further stated: “In a rage, he drove into the crowd and in doing so his intent was to cause serious injury.”

Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident

Footage showed Doyle was driving recklessly prior to entering downtown, undertaking cars at speed and jumping red lights. He ignored road closures and weaved around other cars, including an ambulance and police cars, as he entered the crowds.

The defendant is expected to receive a jail term of over a decade at his sentencing hearing.