Female driver, 21, who killed two in crash after filming herself speeding on Snapchat has sentence increased

The sentence of the young driver who killed two people in an accident after filming himself speeding on Snapchat has been increased.

Liberty Mitchell, 21, was traveling 96 miles per hour when she crashed her Mini Cooper into three other vehicles.

He had attempted to overtake three vehicles at once before aborting the maneuver and crashing into a taxi.

Taxi driver Octavian Codreanu and his passenger, teacher Moyra Whelan, died in the accident.

Multiple people were hospitalized after Mitchell’s actions caused a pileup. Some suffered life-changing injuries.

Mitchell had recently turned 18 at the time of the 2022 crash and had passed his driving test just three weeks earlier.

Yesterday Mitchell’s sentence was increased to nine years and three months after Attorney General Ellie Reeves KC MP referred his case to the Court of Appeal under the Extremely Less Sentencing scheme.

Seven months ago Mitchell was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison at Gloucester Crown Court.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of causing death by dangerous driving, two counts of causing death while uninsured and three counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

Mitchell pleaded guilty to two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and causing death by driving without insurance.

The crash, which involved Mitchell’s gray Mini Cooper, a black Audi A3, a gray Polestar 2 and a black Seat Leon, happened on the B4425 near Aldsworth in Gloucestershire.

Mitchell, of Chipping Norton, was also banned from driving for eight years and four months on the condition he take a lengthy driving test before regaining his licence.

Police investigations revealed Mitchell regularly used his phone while driving, despite having a new licence.

In a video shot by Mitchell, he is seen filming his face with a filter while driving before turning the camera and watching the speedometer increase.

Other videos show Mitchell’s lack of safe driving; One of them shows him driving 100 mph on a 60 mph county road, and the other shows him veering across the road into an oncoming car as his friends yell at him to stop.

Attorney General Ellie Reeves KC MP said: ‘Liberty Mitchell’s reckless actions behind the wheel cost two lives and caused life-changing injuries to many others.

‘I send my deepest condolences to the loved ones of Octavian Codreanu and Moyra Whelan and to everyone whose lives have been devastated by this tragedy.

‘The offender had previously filmed himself speeding and shared it on social media, showing that he did not care about the danger he posed to others.

‘I welcome the Court of Appeal’s decision to increase the sentence and 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.

Teacher Moyra Whelan (pictured) was on her way to a wedding when her taxi was hit by Mitchell’s Mini Cooper

Gloucester Crown Court previously heard injuries sustained in the crash included a broken hip, broken ribs, serious abdominal injuries and shattered bones protruding through the skin.

Nicola Cooper, one of the passengers in the taxi, said: ‘The crash itself was traumatic, its impact seemed endless.

‘I live with survivor’s guilt and the trauma of losing one of my closest friends, Moyra, who sat inches away from me.

‘I lie awake at night thinking “What if?”‘

Miss Whelan’s younger sister Katy-Louise Whelan said: ‘There was so much left that she wanted to experience… but the opportunity was stolen from her and we are devastated.

‘I still absolutely cannot believe that he is no longer with us.

‘It’s as if the light of the world has gone out and we can never turn it on again.

‘One thing that bothers me is the brutal death of my sister… I am truly devastated that my beautiful, innocent sister was subjected to this.’

Simon Stirling, defending, suggested Mitchell’s actions were the result of ‘inexperience rather than irresponsibility’.

He said Mitchell had just passed his driving test and would not have realized the risk of the maneuver he was attempting.

Judge Lowe said: ‘At the time of this collision you had had a full driving license for less than three weeks.

‘At the time you were a reckless and immature young driver suffering from the frankly common teenage delusion that you were invincible and free to do whatever you wanted.

‘The lives of all the victims and their families have been irrevocably changed.’