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An ex- Royal Marines Commando acted as a “man in a rage” as he mowed down scores of Liverpool football club fans at a victory parade, in what many feared was a act of terrorism, a court has heard.

“The footage is deeply disturbing.”

Those injured of Paul Doyle cried as dashcam footage showed people being thrown into the air as he accelerated into crowds and shouted: “Get out of the way!”

The 54-year-old defendant will learn his fate on Tuesday following his guilty plea at the start of his trial last month to 31 offences involving 21 adults and eight children.

‘A Man in a Rage’

The prosecution warned those in court that the footage from Doyle’s large people carrier was “extremely graphic”. It showed the father of three shouting “expletives” as well as “fucking move” while he headed straight for a large crowd of supporters, with people frantically dragging children to safety as he blasted the horn.

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

Scale of the Carnage

Overall, the former Royal Marine injured 134 people within a mere seven-minute span – including more than 50 requiring hospital care. A six-month-old boy was “miraculously” 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, sustaining a laceration to the back of his head, rib fractures and multiple abrasions.

Doyle could be heard shouting “fuck’s sake move! Get out my fucking way!” prior to driving deeper into screaming supporters, including an elderly woman and children who were dragged under the car.

Celebration Descends into Chaos

Addressing a packed courtroom, lawyers said approximately a million individuals had attended “an event they believed to be a joyous occasion” to celebrate the football club’s championship win. Scenes of jubilation turned to “terror”, it was said, when the driver entered the crowd as he attempted to pick up a friend who had been at the parade.

“Some at the scene believed the events unfolding constituted a terrorist incident.”

Rampage Halted by Heroic Act

As bodies lay on the ground, Doyle’s rampage was brought to a halt by a former soldier, a man identified in court, 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, Doyle stated he acted in a “state of sheer panic” because he feared for his life. Yet, prosecutors contended that the dashcam footage demonstrated the defendant “just lost his temper in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to”. The prosecutor added: “Consumed by anger, he targeted the crowd and as he did so his intent was to cause serious injury.”

Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident

The video showed the driver had been driving dangerously prior to entering downtown, overtaking cars dangerously and running red lights. He disregarded traffic diversion measures and weaved around other vehicles, including an ambulance and police cars, as he entered the crowds.

The defendant is understood to be facing a jail term of over a decade at his sentencing hearing.