'Selfish' drunk-driver jailed for 10 years after speeding at 100mph and killing woman, 21, in Christmas Day crash
11 February 2023, 09:17 | Updated: 11 February 2023, 09:18
A "selfish" drunk-driver who reached 100mph before crashing and killing a "popular" young woman on Christmas Day has been jailed for more than 10 years.
Charlie Hilton, 25, was chased by police before his Mercedes hit a tree, flipped over and burst into flames early on Christmas Day in 2021.
Residents rushed to the scene of the crash with fire extinguishers, but 21-year-old Lillie Clack died in hospital three days later.
Three other passengers were injured, including Ms Clack's boyfriend Jack Watson and her best friend Delia Casey. The three friends had been at Winter Wonderland in London before being taken home by Hilton.
Hilton, who was over the drink-drive limit, had overloaded the car with five passengers, the Old Bailey heard.
He was told to pull over by police, who indicated for him to stop, but instead he sped off so fast one of the group bumped his head on the roof of the car.
Prosecutor Garside said: "The defendant's response to being told to pull over was silence and he continued driving at high speed."
Police car lost sight of Hilton's Mercedes around a mile from where Hilton lost control and crashed.
Ms Clack's mother and aunt wept as they read victim impact statements as her mother said: "The beautiful person who grew inside me has been taken away too soon. My heart has been shattered into a million pieces."
On Hilton's behaviour after the crash, she said: "Throughout the year he has been free to live his life as if nothing has happened. He was plastered all over social media enjoying life as he did not give a fig about Lillie or her family.
"His actions make it seems like he just did not care."
Aunt Donna Barnham added: "She just went out one day to have fun. She did not come home. She was killed, her life taken away because of another person and that person, Charlie Hilton, made a choice.
"He did not listen to our Lillie and his passengers pleading with him to stop. He continued to drive at speed and killed our princess. The selfish choices he made killed our little baby."
Outside the Old Bailey, a group of friends and supporters of Ms Clack dressed in pink and held up a banner calling for justice.
