Court increases sentence for newly qualified driver who killed two in 96mph crash
Published on 07/29/2026 at 15:08 | Redaktion boerse-global.de
A 21-year-old woman who killed a taxi driver and his passenger in a high-speed crash just weeks after passing her driving test has had her prison sentence increased from six years and eight months to nine years and three months.
Liberty Mitchell, of Chipping Norton, was originally sentenced at Gloucester Crown Court in December 2025 for causing the double-fatality collision on the B4425 near Aldsworth, Gloucestershire. The Court of Appeal extended her term on 28 July 2026 after the Attorney General referred the case under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme, arguing the original penalty was too soft.
Reckless driving and social media footage
The crash occurred on 2 December 2022, less than three weeks after Mitchell had passed her driving test. She was driving at 96 mph in a 60 mph zone and attempted to overtake three vehicles on the wrong side of the road before striking a taxi.
The collision killed taxi driver Octavian Codreanu, 44, and his passenger Moyra Whelan, 35. Six other people were injured, three of them seriously. An investigation revealed that Mitchell had filmed herself driving at approximately 100 mph on Snapchat shortly before the crash.
Sentence increased on appeal
Mitchell pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, causing death while uninsured, and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. She was initially sentenced to six years and eight months in December 2025.
The Court of Appeal found that the original sentence did not adequately reflect the seriousness of Mitchell's reckless behaviour, including the excessive speed and the distraction of filming for social media. Her sentence was extended to nine years and three months.
The Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme allows the Attorney General to refer certain Crown Court sentences to the Court of Appeal if they appear too low. The court can then increase the penalty if it considers the original sentence fell outside the range a reasonable judge could have imposed.
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