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A former Royal Marines Commando was a “person consumed by fury” as he mowed down 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 truly shocking.”

Those injured of Paul Doyle wept as dashcam footage depicted bodies spinning through the air as he accelerated into crowds and shouted: “Get out of the way!”

The 54-year-old defendant will learn his fate 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 warned those in court that the video evidence from the defendant’s two-tonne Ford Galaxy proved to be “extremely graphic”. It showed the parent yelling “fucking pricks” as well as “fucking move” as he drove towards 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 whose anger had completely taken hold of him” as he ploughed further into the crowd, accelerating as people collided with his car.

Extent of the Injuries

In total, the ex-marine injured 134 people in just seven minutes – with over fifty requiring hospital care. A six-month-old boy was “remarkably” uninjured even though he was left on the roadway when Doyle’s car hit his pram, according to testimony.

One fan, Simon Nash, was shown being thrown into the air by the vehicle, sustaining a cut on his head, broken ribs and multiple abrasions.

Doyle 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.

Celebration Descends into Chaos

Addressing a packed courtroom, the prosecution said approximately a million individuals were present at “what they thought would be a day of joyfulness” marking the football club’s championship win. The celebratory atmosphere turned to “terror”, the prosecutor said, when the driver entered the crowd while trying to collect a companion from the parade route.

“Witnesses 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, Dan Barr, who climbed into a rear passenger seat and forced the gearstick into park. Even then, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, according to evidence.

In his police interview, Doyle stated he acted in a “blind panic” because he feared for his life. Yet, prosecutors contended that the video showed the defendant “simply lost control in his desire to get to where he wanted to get to”. The prosecutor added: “Consumed by anger, he drove into the crowd and as he did so he intended to cause them serious harm.”

Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident

The video showed the driver was driving recklessly prior to entering downtown, overtaking cars dangerously and running red lights. He disregarded road closures and weaved around other cars, even emergency service vehicles, as he entered the crowds.

The defendant is understood to be facing a prison sentence of over a decade at his sentencing hearing.