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An ex- Royal Marines Commando acted as a “man in a rage” as he drove into scores of Liverpool football club fans during a championship celebration, in what many feared was a act of terrorism, a court has heard.

“The footage is deeply disturbing.”

Victims of Paul Doyle cried as dashcam footage depicted people being thrown into the air while he sped towards the gathering while screaming: “Get out of the way!”

Doyle, 54, is due to be sentenced on Tuesday following his guilty plea at the start of his trial last month to 31 offences against 21 adults and eight children.

‘Consumed by Anger’

The prosecution stated the court that the footage from Doyle’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy was “extremely graphic”. It showed the parent shouting “expletives” and “fucking move” while he headed straight for hundreds of fans, some pulling children out of the way as he blasted the horn.

It was stated in court that Doyle was a “individual whose anger had completely overpowered him” as he ploughed further into the crowd, accelerating while individuals were struck by his vehicle.

Scale of the Carnage

In total, the former Royal Marine hurt 134 individuals in just seven minutes – with over fifty who needed hospital treatment. An infant was “miraculously” unharmed despite being left splayed on the road after the vehicle struck his stroller, according to testimony.

A supporter, a man named in court, was shown being thrown into the air by the car, suffering a laceration to the back of his head, broken ribs and numerous scrapes.

Doyle was heard screaming “fuck’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, the prosecution said approximately a million individuals were present at “an event they believed to be a day of joyfulness” to celebrate Liverpool winning their 20th league title. The celebratory atmosphere turned to “terror”, it was said, when the driver entered the crowd while trying to collect a companion from the parade route.

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

Brave Intervention Stops Driver

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 climbed into a rear passenger seat and forced the gearstick into park. Despite this, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, the court heard.

During questioning, the defendant claimed he reacted in a “state of sheer 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”. The prosecutor added: “In a rage, he targeted the crowd and in doing so he intended to cause them serious harm.”

Reckless Behavior Before the Attack

Footage showed Doyle had been driving dangerously prior to entering downtown, overtaking cars dangerously and jumping red lights. He disregarded road closures and weaved around other cars, even emergency service vehicles, as he approached the packed streets.

Doyle is understood to be facing a jail term of over a decade when he is sentenced on Tuesday.