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An ex- Royal Marines Commando was a “man in a rage” when he mowed down scores of LFC fans at a championship celebration, an incident many initially feared to be a act of terrorism, according to court proceedings.

“The footage is deeply disturbing.”

Those injured in the incident cried 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 is due to be sentenced 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’

Prosecutors stated the 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” and “move out of the way” as he drove towards hundreds of fans, with people frantically dragging children to safety as his car horn blared.

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

Scale of the Carnage

Overall, the former Royal Marine hurt 134 individuals within a mere seven-minute span – including more than 50 who needed hospital treatment. A six-month-old boy was “miraculously” unharmed despite being left splayed on the road 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 cut on his head, broken ribs and multiple abrasions.

Doyle was heard screaming “for God’s sake move! Get out my fucking way!” prior to driving deeper into panicked fans, including an elderly woman and children who became trapped beneath the vehicle.

Celebration Descends into Chaos

Addressing a packed courtroom, lawyers said about 1 million people were present at “an event they believed to be a joyous occasion” marking the football club’s championship win. Scenes of jubilation turned to “terror”, the prosecutor said, as Doyle drove into oncoming fans while trying to collect a companion from the parade route.

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

Rampage Halted by Heroic Act

With injured people on the street, the vehicle’s path 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. Even then, Doyle continued pressing the gas pedal, the court heard.

In his police interview, the defendant stated he acted in a “blind panic” because he feared for his life. However, prosecutors contended that the video showed Doyle “simply lost control in his determination to reach his destination”. 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

The video indicated Doyle was driving recklessly before he reached the city centre, undertaking cars at speed and jumping red lights. He disregarded traffic diversion measures and weaved around other vehicles, even emergency service vehicles, as he entered the crowds.

Doyle is understood to be facing a jail term of more than 10 years at his sentencing hearing.