Court of Appeal raises driver’s prison term for fatal Snapchat crash to 4½ years
The Court of Appeal increased Mia Howarth's sentence for causing her boyfriend's death while filming on Snapchat from three to four and a half years.
In September 2023, 18-year-old Mia Howarth was driving a Peugeot 107 on a single-carriageway in North Yorkshire while recording 17-year-old Alfie Lovett on Snapchat as he sat on the open window. Traveling at about 35 mph, she lost control, struck a dry-stone wall and trapped Lovett between the car and the wall, leading to his death despite by-standers’ CPR attempts. Howarth pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving at York Crown Court and received a three-year term, which the Attorney General deemed unduly lenient and referred to the Court of Appeal.
On Friday, Lord Justice Popplewell and colleagues increased the sentence to four and a half years, rejecting the lower court’s youth-related reduction and noting limited mitigation. During the hearing, Howarth, appearing from HMP Low Newton, sobbed and her counsel described the case as a profound tragedy. The appeal underscores judicial willingness to extend sentences when initial punishments are considered insufficient.
Why it matters
The case highlights how courts can extend sentences when original terms are judged too lenient, especially for dangerous driving linked to social-media use.
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