British backpacker pleads guilty to killing man after hitting him while riding e-scooter drunk
A British backpacker has pleaded guilty after killing a man following an e-scooter crash.
Alicia Kemp, from Redditch, Worcestershire, was charged with dangerous driving causing death under the influence of alcohol in Australia.
She appeared in Perth Magistrates’ Court via video link from prison earlier this morning (11 August).
The 25-year-old had been drinking with a friend on 31 May when they were kicked out of a bar for being drunk, the court was previously told.
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They then hired an e-scooter in Perth’s city centre, with Kemp driving at speeds of 12 to 15 mph when she hit 51-year-old Thanh Phan from behind on a pavement at around 8.40pm local time.
The dad-of-two hit his head and died in hospital two days later after suffering a brain bleed. Kemp now faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Kemp was more than three times the legal limit in Australia with a blood alcohol content level of 0.158 after the cash.
And prosecutors said CCTV footage showed her ‘inexplicably dangerous’ riding before she hit Phan, who was waiting to cross the road.
Kemp and the e-scooter passenger also suffered minor injuries, with another charge of causing harm to a passenger while under the influence of alcohol being dropped.
The passenger’s injuries were not life-threatening, sustaining a fractured skull and broken nose.
In a earlier statement, Phan’s family described him as a ‘beloved husband, father-of-two, brother, and dear friend’ and called for a crackdown on safety laws around the vehicles.
“We also call for a review of the governance and safety regulations surrounding hired e-scooters to help prevent further serious incidents that put lives at risk,” they said.
According to the Australian Associated Press, Kemp’s lawyer Mike Tudori told reporters outside the court his client was ‘nervous and worried’ being a ‘young foreign national girl’ in an overseas jail.
“She’s obviously done something stupid at the time,” he said.
“She obviously wasn’t thinking level-headed and there’s consequences, and she just wants to get on with her life.”
He added that Kemp was relieved after pleading guilty and hoped to be sentenced before Christmas. She will now remain in custody and is due to appear before Perth District Court on 31 October, when a date will be set for her sentencing.
Under Western Australian law, e-scooter riders must wear a helmet, be sober, carry no passengers and be aged over 16 years old
Jess Battison