Liberty Mitchell, 21, had her prison sentence increased from six years and eight months to nine years and three months by the Court of Appeal after the Attorney General referred her case under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.
Crash details
Mitchell killed taxi driver Octavian Codreanu and his passenger Moyra Whelan in December 2022. She was driving at nearly 100mph in a 60mph zone while trying to overtake three other cars on the wrong side of the road but clipped one of them, causing a pile-up.
Court of Appeal decision
Attorney General Ellie Reeves KC MP said: 'Liberty Mitchell’s reckless actions behind the wheel claimed the lives of two people and left many others with life-changing injuries. I welcome the Court of Appeal’s decision to increase her sentence, and I pay tribute to the emergency services who treated the injured at the scene.'
Victim impact
Nicola Cooper, a passenger in the taxi, said: 'The crash itself was traumatic, the impact felt endless. I live with survivor’s guilt and the trauma of losing one of my closest friends, Moyra, who was sitting just inches from me.'
Katy-Louise Whelan, Moyra Whelan's sister, said: 'She had so much left that she wanted to experience… but the opportunity was stolen from her and we are devastated. I’m still absolutely incredulous that she is not with us anymore.'
Defence and sentencing
Mitchell's defence lawyer Simon Stirling argued her actions were a result of 'inexperience rather than irresponsibility', noting she had only recently passed her driving test. Judge Lowe said at the original sentencing: 'At the time of this collision, you had held a full driving licence for less than three weeks. You were, at the time, a reckless and immature young driver suffering from the, frankly common, teenage delusion that you were invulnerable and free to do as you wished.'
