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A former Royal Marines Commando was a “person consumed by fury” 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 was deeply disturbing.”

Victims of Paul Doyle wept as dashcam footage showed people being thrown into the air while he sped towards the gathering and shouted: “Get out of the way!”

The 54-year-old defendant will learn his fate on Tuesday after pleading guilty at the start of his trial last month to 31 offences against 21 adults and eight children.

‘Consumed by Anger’

Prosecutors warned those in court that the footage from Doyle’s large people carrier was “truly shocking”. It showed the father of three shouting “expletives” and “move out of the way” as he drove towards hundreds of fans, with people frantically dragging children to safety as he blasted the horn.

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, accelerating as people collided with his car.

Scale of the Carnage

Overall, the ex-marine hurt 134 individuals in just seven minutes – including more than 50 who needed hospital treatment. An infant was “remarkably” unharmed even though he was left on the roadway after the vehicle struck his stroller, the court heard.

One fan, Simon Nash, was shown being thrown into the air by the car, suffering a laceration to the back of his head, rib fractures and numerous scrapes.

The defendant was heard screaming “fuck’s sake move! Get out of my path!” prior to driving deeper into screaming supporters, including an elderly woman and 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 Liverpool winning their 20th league title. Scenes of jubilation swiftly became “horror”, it was said, when the driver entered the crowd while trying to collect a companion from the parade route.

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

Rampage Halted by Heroic Act

With injured people on the street, Doyle’s rampage was brought to a halt by a former soldier, Dan Barr, who entered the back of the car and forced the gearstick into park. Even then, Doyle kept his foot on the accelerator, according to evidence.

In his police interview, the defendant claimed he reacted in a “state of sheer panic” due to a fear for his safety. However, prosecutors contended that the video showed the defendant “just lost his temper in his determination to reach his destination”. It was further stated: “Consumed by anger, he drove into the crowd and in doing so he intended to cause them serious harm.”

Dangerous Driving Prior to Incident

The video indicated Doyle was driving recklessly before he reached the city centre, overtaking cars dangerously and jumping red lights. He ignored road closures and bypassed other cars, including an ambulance and police cars, as he entered the crowds.

Doyle is understood to be facing a jail term of over a decade at his sentencing hearing.