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An ex- Royal Marines Commando acted as a “man in a rage” as he mowed down dozens of Liverpool football club fans at a championship celebration, in what many feared was a terrorist attack, a court has heard.

“The video was deeply disturbing.”

Those injured of Paul Doyle cried as video from the car’s camera showed bodies spinning through the air while he sped towards the gathering while screaming: “Get out of the way!”

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

‘Consumed by Anger’

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

The court was told that Doyle was a “man in a rage had completely overpowered 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 ex-marine injured 134 individuals within a mere seven-minute span – with over fifty who needed hospital treatment. An infant was “miraculously” uninjured despite being left splayed on the road when Doyle’s car hit his pram, according to testimony.

One fan, a man named in court, was shown being thrown into the air by the vehicle, suffering a laceration on his head, broken ribs and multiple abrasions.

The defendant was heard screaming “for God’s sake move! Get out my fucking way!” before ploughing further into screaming supporters, among them an older woman and young children who were dragged under the car.

Celebration Descends into Chaos

Addressing a packed courtroom, lawyers said approximately a million individuals were present at “what they thought would be a day of joyfulness” to celebrate the football club’s championship win. The celebratory atmosphere turned to “horror”, the prosecutor said, as Doyle drove into oncoming fans while trying to collect a companion who had been at the parade.

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

Rampage Halted by Heroic Act

As bodies lay on the ground, Doyle’s rampage was stopped by an ex-army member, Dan Barr, who entered the back of the car and held the car’s gear selector in “park”. Despite this, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, according to evidence.

In his police interview, the defendant stated he reacted in a “blind panic” because he feared for his life. Yet, the prosecution argued that the video showed Doyle “just lost his temper in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to”. It was further stated: “Consumed by anger, he drove into the crowd and as he did so he intended to cause them serious harm.”

Reckless Behavior Before the Attack

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 bypassed other cars, including an ambulance and police cars, as he approached the packed streets.

Doyle is expected to receive a jail term of more than 10 years at his sentencing hearing.