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

“The video was truly shocking.”

Victims of Paul Doyle wept while dashcam footage depicted people being thrown into 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 criminal charges involving 21 adults and eight children.

‘Consumed by Anger’

Prosecutors stated those in court that the video evidence from Doyle’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy was “extremely graphic”. The recording revealed the parent yelling “expletives” and “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 was a “man in a rage whose anger had completely taken hold of 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 ex-marine injured 134 people 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, according to testimony.

One fan, a man named in court, was shown being thrown into the air by the vehicle, sustaining a cut on his head, rib fractures and multiple abrasions.

The defendant could be heard shouting “for God’s sake move! Get out my fucking way!” 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 approximately a million individuals had attended “an event they believed to be a joyous occasion” marking Liverpool winning their 20th league title. The celebratory atmosphere turned to “terror”, the prosecutor said, when the driver entered the crowd 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.”

Rampage Halted by Heroic Act

As bodies lay on the ground, Doyle’s rampage was stopped by an ex-army member, a man identified in court, who climbed into a rear passenger seat and held the car’s gear selector in “park”. Even then, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, according to evidence.

In his police interview, Doyle claimed he reacted in a “blind panic” due to a fear for his safety. However, prosecutors contended that the video demonstrated 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 disregarded road closures and weaved around other vehicles, even emergency service vehicles, as he approached the packed streets.

Doyle is expected to receive a jail term of over a decade when he is sentenced on Tuesday.