A driver who videoed himself admitting he was drunk at the wheel before he killed a woman in a crash has had his prison sentence increased by the Court of Appeal. Anton Hull was jailed for six years at Taunton Crown Court in November last year for causing the death of 29-year-old Sarah Baker by dangerous driving in the collision near Wincanton in Somerset on August 18 2022.
Hull, who was 20 at the time, had uploaded videos to Snapchat minutes before the crash, claiming he was “f****** smashed”, despite having been advised not to drink and drive by family members and a pub landlord earlier that evening. The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) had referred his sentence to the Court of Appeal, claiming it was “unduly lenient”.
At a hearing in London on Wednesday, three appeal judges agreed and increased Hull’s sentence to one of nine years and three months. Lord Justice William Davis, sitting with Mr Justice Murray and Judge Robert Altham, said: “He deliberately drove in the teeth of the advice given to him by those with his best interests at heart.
“We are satisfied that that sentence fell outside of the reasonable range of sentence available to the judge. We quash the sentence of six years of imprisonment and substitute in its place a sentence of nine years and three months of imprisonment.”
Lord Justice William Davis said Ms Baker “died instantly” in the collision between her Volkswagen and Hull’s Ford Transit van, which followed a combination of Hull “driving when in drink, ignoring repeated warnings about the dangers of drunk driving, and using the mobile telephone to glorify the extent of his inebriation”.
The court heard that Hull was believed to be around twice the legal drink-drive limit at the time of the crash, with three videos showing him behind the wheel of the van later found by police. The judge who sentenced him said his actions were “unbelievably selfish”.
Sarah Przybylska, representing the AGO on Wednesday, said Hull had consumed “multiple pints of lager and rum” on the night of the incident and had been refused service before the collision, but had not shown remorse.
“He maintains even now that he was not driving on the wrong side of the road," she said. “He was sorry someone had died. It was not remorse in the sense of an admission of responsibility, it was the sympathy of someone to a fellow victim of the same unfortunate accident. He was injured through his own seriously culpable conduct.”
Following Hull’s sentencing last year, Ms Baker’s family said her death had left a “gaping hole in our hearts” and caused “immeasurable pain”.
They said: “She was the most caring, loyal and generous daughter, sister, niece, cousin, friend and most recently aunty anyone could hope to have in their lives.”
Hull, who is now 22, suffered a shattered femur and dissected aorta in the collision and has since been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, his barrister, Patrick Mason, told Wednesday’s hearing.
He had previously worked as a thatcher and had hoped to become a professional boxer, Mr Mason added. Hull appeared in court via video-link from prison and gave a thumbs-up when he was told his sentence had been extended. As well as the increased jail term, he was disqualified from driving for 12 years and two months, increased from nine years.
