‘Immature’ woman, 21, who had licence for weeks before killing two in crash while using Snapchat has sentence increased
A WOMAN who killed two people in a car crash less than three weeks after gaining her driving licence has had her prison sentence increased.
Liberty Mitchell, 21, crashed her Mini Cooper into three other cars while filming herself speeding on Snapchat as she performed an overtake.
Liberty had originally been sentenced to six years and eight months’ imprisonment at Gloucester Crown Court in December last year.
She had pleaded guilty to two counts of causing death by dangerous driving, two counts of causing death whilst uninsured, and three counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
But she’s now been slapped with nine years and three months after the Attorney General, Ellie Reeves, referred Liberty’s case to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.
The self-employed cleaner, who was 18 at the time, had been driving between jobs on December 2, 2022 when she attempted to overtake another car in Riversmeet North.
She collided with three other cars as a result of her dangerous driving.
Taxi driver Octavian Codreanu was pronounced dead at the scene.
His passenger, school teacher Moyra Whelan, later died from her injuries in hospital.
Several other people were taken to hospital for treatment after Mitchell’s actions caused a horror pile-up.
Liberty was arrested at the scene and later charged following a police probe.
Investigators found that she had regularly been speeding and driving while filming herself on Snapchat, despite passing her driving test less than three weeks before the collision happened.
Videos laid bare Liberty’s lack of care for driving safely, with one showing her driving at 100mph on a 60mph county road.
Another shows her veering onto the opposite side of the road towards an oncoming car as friends shouted for her to stop.
Along with a prison sentence, she’s also been disqualified from driving for eight years and four months.
She will also be required to take an extended driving test before regaining her license.
Ms Reeves said: “Liberty Mitchell’s reckless actions behind the wheel claimed the lives of two people and left many others with life-changing injuries.
“My deepest sympathies go to the loved ones of Octavian Codreanu and Moyra Whelan, and to all those whose lives have been devastated by this tragedy.
“The offender had previously filmed herself speeding and shared it on social media, showing disregard for the danger she posed to others.
“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.”
