A young motorist who caused a fatal crash after recording herself speeding on Snapchat has had her prison sentence increased.
Liberty Mitchell, 21, was driving at 96mph when her Mini Cooper smashed into three other vehicles.
The collision happened after she tried to overtake three cars in one move, then attempted to pull out of the manoeuvre before striking a taxi.
Taxi driver Octavian Codreanu and his passenger, school teacher Moyra Whelan, both died in the crash.
Mitchell’s driving also triggered a pile-up that left several other people needing hospital treatment, with some suffering life-changing injuries.
At the time of the 2022 crash, Mitchell had only recently turned 18 and had passed her driving test just three weeks earlier.
Yesterday, her sentence was raised to nine years and three months after Attorney General Ellie Reeves KC MP referred the case to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.
Mitchell had originally been jailed for six years and eight months at Gloucester Crown Court seven months ago.
She 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.
Mitchell filmed herself speeding before killing two people in a crash just three weeks after passing her driving test
Mitchell pleaded guilty to two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and causing death by driving whilst uninsured
The crash, which involved Mitchell’s grey Mini Cooper, a black Audi A3, a grey Polestar 2 and a black Seat Leon, happened on the B4425 near Aldsworth in Gloucestershire
Mitchell, of Chipping Norton, was also disqualified from driving for eight years and four months, with a requirement to take an extended driving test before regaining her licence.
Police investigations found that Mitchell had regularly been using her phone whilst driving, despite having such a new licence.
A video taken by Mitchell showed her filming her face with a filter while driving before turning the camera around and watching the speedometer increase.
Other videos show Mitchell’s lack of care for driving safely, with one showing her driving at 100mph on a 60mph county road and another showing her veering onto the opposite side of the road towards an oncoming car as friends shouted for her to stop.
The 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.
‘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.’
At Gloucester Crown Court in December, Mitchell was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison
Schoolteacher Moyra Whelan (pictured) was on her way to a wedding when the taxi she was in was hit by Mitchell’s Mini Cooper
Gloucester Crown Court previously heard injuries suffered by those in the crash included a fractured hip, broken ribs, severe abdominal wounds and shattered bones protruding through the skin.
Nicola Cooper, one of the passengers 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.
‘I lie awake at night thinking about the “what ifs”.’
Katy-Louise Whelan, Ms Whelan’s younger 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 any more.
‘It’s like the light of the world is dimmed and we will never be able to turn it back on again.
‘One aspect that haunts me is that my sister died violently… I’m truly devastated that my beautiful, innocent sister was subjected to that.’
Simon Stirling, defending, suggested Mitchell’s actions were a result of ‘inexperience rather than irresponsibility’.
He said Mitchell had only recently passed her driving test and would not have understood the risk of the manoeuvre she was attempting.
Judge Lowe said: ‘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.
‘The lives of all the victims and their families have been irrevocably changed.’
