Folkestone woman Sarah Baker killed by drunk driver filming on TikTok saying ‘I’m smashed’ moments before crash
A driver who filmed himself boasting he was drunk while behind the wheel killed a young woman just minutes later. Sarah Baker, 29, from Folkestone and a former head girl at Folkestone School for Girls, died in the crash while on a weekend away in Somerset. Anton Hull bragged he was "smashed" while driving his Ford Transit after boozing in the pub and being so intoxicated bar staff refused to serve him before getting in the van to drive home.
In a video he was uploading to TikTok, the 21-year-old is heard slurring his words before wooping at the camera. Ms Baker's family have agreed for police to release footage of Hull's actions in the lead-up to the fatal crash and her "senseless" death.
She was driving a Volkswagen in the opposite direction when Hull's van crashed into her car in Wincanton, Somerset shortly after 11pm on August 18 last year. She died at the scene.
Hull was taken to hospital for his injuries where a blood test revealed he was approximately one-and-a-half or two times over the legal drink-drive limit at the time of the crash. Ms Baker, who was born in New Romney and went to school in Folkestone, had recently completed a Master's degree and was living in Wimbledon, south west London but visited Folkestone most weekends to see her family. Just days before her death, she had put in an offer to buy her first home.
In a statement released after Hull's sentencing today, Ms Baker's family said: "The loss of Sarah has left a gaping hole in our hearts. Over a year has passed and every single day, we have struggled to know how to carry on without her.
"Sarah was 29 years old, she had just finished a Master's degree and in her last days, put in an offer to buy her first home. "Sarah had spent the last four weeks of her life supporting her sister with her newborn baby and was simply driving to Somerset to have a weekend away.
"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. "The immeasurable pain we feel is so unnecessary when Sarah's death was entirely preventable. The utterly selfish act of one individual has ended her life and ruined those lives around her."
Hull was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving last month.
The court heard had been drinking rum and lager in the pub in South Cadbury until about 10.30pm when staff stopped serving him. Hull was advised by several people to leave his vehicle in the car park and head home.
But just 35 minutes later, police were called to the scene in Anchor Hill, Wincanton by two people who had come across the scene of the crash moments after it happened.
One of the witnesses told the 999 call-handler Hull "stank of booze" while others suspected he had been drinking alcohol as his speech was slurred. During the police investigation, Hull refused to provide the passcode to his mobile phone but analysis work was still possible.
Videos were found on it showing him record himself while at the wheel including stating he was "f****** smashed".
Hull, of Long Street, Galhampton in Somerset, was jailed for six years and given an extended nine-year driving ban on his release. He will have to pass an extended re-test before being allowed to regain his licence. Addressing Hull, Judge Edward Burgess told him: "Your dangerous driving killed Sarah Baker, having made a selfish decision to drive despite warnings, knowing full well you were too drunk to do so.
"Your driving was significantly impaired, and you used your phone to record yourself driving in an intoxicated state. "Words cannot do justice to the enormity and needless tragedy of this incident. "You have no one to blame but yourself for your injuries."
'Words cannot do justice to the enormity and needless tragedy of this incident...' Investigating officer Dai Nicholas said: "My heart goes out to the family of Sarah Baker - she had her whole life ahead of her before it was cruelly snatched away in this tragic incident. "Anton Hull made a conscious decision to drive to the pub.
He made a conscious decision to drink lager and rum. He then made a catastrophic conscious decision to drive home, when he was clearly unfit to. "That he filmed himself on his own phone just increased the level of risk even more.
"We are grateful to all the witnesses who helped our investigation so we could piece together the full events of this tragic night and secure this conviction. "In the next few weeks in the run-up to Christmas, the public will no doubt hear police, road safety campaigners and countless other people talk about the dangers of drink-driving. "Cases like this show why we want everybody to be aware of the risks and we make no apology for that.
But Sarah's death also shows the devastating impact of drink-driving is not just an issue at Christmas time. "According to the latest figures, approximately 250 people died in alcohol-related collisions in 2021 across the country - that's about five deaths a week. "Sarah's family have experienced incredible pain and today's sentence won't end that.
"We desperately hope though that awareness of what happened to her stops someone in future from getting behind the wheel after drinking alcohol, because doing so can kill."