'I lost my daughter, he kept his licence': Calls for 'Lillie’s Law' after killer driver stayed on the road
The family of a 22-year-old who was killed by a drink-driver at Christmas are calling for a change in the law after learning the man responsible was allowed to keep driving for more than a year after her death.
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Lillie Clack was critically injured in a high-speed crash in Carshalton, South London in the early hours of Christmas Day in 2021 and died three days later.
The driver, 25-year-old Charlie Hilton, later pleaded guilty to causing Lillie's death by dangerous driving, three counts of causing serious injury, failing to stop when directed and driving above the alcohol limit.
Under current law, however, he was allowed to continue driving for around 12 months after the crash.
Lillie's mother, Debbie Clack, is now pushing for 'Lillie's Law', which would automatically suspend a driver’s licence following a fatal collision - stopping suspects from driving while investigations are ongoing.
Speaking to LBC, Debbie recalled the heartbreaking moment she learned of Lillie's death: "At quarter to three, there was a knock at the door. So, I got out of bed, thinking it was Lillie... I noticed two figures and a voice came back to me and said, it's the police.
"I said ‘where's Lillie? Is Lillie okay?’ And this man just stared at me and said ‘Lillie’s been involved in an accident and she's at the hospital. We've got to get you there.’"
Lillie had been in central London with friends celebrating Christmas. Later that evening, they accepted a lift from Hilton, who they did not know had been drinking.
Shortly after leaving a wine bar, police tried to stop his vehicle - but he fled the scene. The car reached speeds of 120mph before crashing into a tree and catching fire.
Lillie died on the 28th of December at St. George's Hospital after doctors confirmed her catastrophic brain injuries were untreatable. At an inquest, her death was ruled unlawful killing.
Debbie described Lillie, who worked as a kitchen designer, as “everything you could wish for in a daughter... bright, bubbly, funny, caring, full of life.”
Despite Hilton causing Lillie’s death and having three prior convictions for drink driving, his license was not revoked until the following year.
Debbie told LBC “You've broken a mother's heart... you took away my baby's life, and you have the audacity to say no comment... which meant he was allowed to continue to drive.”
Lillie's aunt, Donna Barnham, added: “I’d think if I got done for drink driving today, I would be in court on Monday morning. But it turns out if you kill, there's no way of expediating the process.
"She was our only girl. She was spoiled, but she wasn't like a princess. She was one of the boys.... she wasn't afraid of having a go at anything."
Debbie and Donna's campaign comes as police and road safety charities renew warnings about drink driving over the festive period.
Government figures show that around 260 people are killed each year in crashes involving a driver over the legal alcohol limit, accounting for roughly one in six road deaths.
Lillie’s Law would introduce an automatic interim driving ban for anyone under investigation for causing death by dangerous or drink driving, closing what the family describe as a ‘dangerous legal loophole’.
At present, a driver’s licence is usually only suspended once formal charges are brought.
The campaign also calls for tougher sentencing, including automatic lifetime driving bans for those convicted of causing death on the roads.
Although courts already have the power to impose lifetime bans, they are extremely rare.
Fewer than 1% of drivers who caused a death received a permanent ban in recent years, according to the think tank Onward. In many cases, bans run while offenders are in prison, meaning they have little impact once the sentence ends.
"He’ll serve five years for killing my daughter," Debbie said. "That’s nothing compared to what we’re serving."
David Preston, a partner at law firm Leigh Day, represented Lillie’s family in their civil claim and says the law leaves families feeling powerless.
"At the moment, a driving licence can realistically only be suspended once formal charges are brought and even then, that discretion is very rarely used” he told LBC.
"Magistrates’ courts don’t have the power to suspend a licence, and Crown Court judges almost never exercise that discretion."
David said it is deeply distressing for families to know the person responsible for their loved one’s death is still driving freely.
"If the person who killed my daughter was still driving a car 12 months later, I would feel extremely aggrieved.
"You do need to protect a suspect’s right to a fair trial... but in cases where there is clear evidence of danger, protecting the public must come first."
Debbie and Donna say campaigning is now their way of ensuring Lillie’s death was not in vain.
"One drink is one drink too many," Debbie said. "Road crime is real crime. Make the right choice, because the consequences last forever."
Donna added: "If Lillie’s Law saves just one life, one family from that knock on the door... then Lillie’s name will mean something forever.”
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "This was a tragic case, and our thoughts remain with Lillie’s family.
"There are already strict penalties in place for those who are caught drink driving and our forthcoming Road Safety Strategy will introduce more measures to keep people safe, including tougher measures to deter drink drivers.”