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An ex- Royal Marine acted as a “man in a rage” as he drove into scores of Liverpool football club supporters at a victory parade, in what many feared was a act of terrorism, a court has heard.

“The footage was deeply disturbing.”

Victims of Paul Doyle wept as dashcam footage depicted people being thrown into the air while he sped towards the gathering and shouted: “Fucking hell, move!”

Doyle, 54, will learn his fate on Tuesday after pleading guilty at the start of his trial last month to 31 offences against 29 victims, including eight minors.

‘Consumed by Anger’

The prosecution warned those in court that the footage from Doyle’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy was “extremely graphic”. The recording revealed the father of three shouting “expletives” and “fucking move” as he drove towards a large crowd of supporters, some pulling children out of the way as his car horn blared.

The court was told that Doyle acted as a “man in a rage had completely overpowered him” as he continued driving into the mass of people, speeding up as people collided with his car.

Scale of the Carnage

Overall, the ex-marine injured 134 individuals within a mere seven-minute span – with over fifty requiring hospital care. An infant was “miraculously” unharmed despite being left splayed on the road after the vehicle struck his stroller, the court heard.

A supporter, a man named in court, was shown being thrown into the air by the vehicle, suffering a laceration on his head, rib fractures and multiple abrasions.

Doyle was heard screaming “fuck’s sake move! Get out of my path!” before ploughing further into panicked fans, among them an older woman and young children who were dragged under the car.

Scene of Jubilation Turns to Horror

Addressing a packed courtroom, lawyers said about 1 million people had attended “what they thought would be a joyous occasion” to celebrate Liverpool winning their 20th league title. Scenes of jubilation swiftly became “terror”, it was said, as Doyle drove into oncoming fans as he attempted to pick up a friend from the parade route.

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

Brave Intervention Stops Driver

As bodies lay on the ground, Doyle’s rampage was brought to a halt by a former soldier, Dan Barr, who climbed into a rear passenger seat and forced the gearstick into park. Even then, Doyle continued pressing the gas pedal, according to evidence.

In his police interview, the defendant 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 “simply lost control in his determination to reach his destination”. The prosecutor added: “Consumed by anger, he targeted the crowd and in doing so his intent was to cause serious injury.”

Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident

The video indicated Doyle was driving recklessly before he reached the city centre, overtaking cars dangerously and jumping red lights. He ignored traffic diversion measures and weaved around other vehicles, including an ambulance and police cars, as he approached the packed streets.

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