Backpacker faces jail in Oz after killing pedestrian while drunk on e-scooter
Alicia Kemp (24) was arrested and charged for riding the hired e-scooter on a footpath and knocking down 51-year-old engineer Thanh Phan
Pedestrian Thanh Phan died after being hit at the intersection of Murray Street and King Street by an e-scooter
A British backpacker is facing 20 years in prison after she allegedly killed a father by ploughing into him while riding drunk on an e-scooter.
An Australian court was told Alicia Kemp (24) was arrested and charged for riding the hired e-scooter on a footpath and knocking down 51-year-old engineer Thanh Phan.
Mr Phan was struck from behind as he walked along Murray Street in Perth's Central Business District with a friend at about 8.40pm on Saturday.
Alicia Kemp who had been riding the e-scooter that hit Mr Phan has been denied bail having appeared in court flanked by security guards.
The court was told that she was in Australia with her partner on a four-month tourist visa and that she had been working at Durty Nelly's Irish pub.
E-scooters on a street in Perth. Stock image
News in 90 Seconds - 5th June 2025
She had been out drinking on Saturday afternoon from 2.30pm with a friend, who was kicked out of a bar for being too drunk.
Later that evening, at around 8.30pm, she hired an e-scooter.
Police told the court that she was the main driver, while her friend was a passenger.
Prosecutors said that Kemp was driving in an 'inexplicably dangerous' manner and that pedestrians were forced to 'take evasive action'.
'She has careered into his back, causing him to fall forward and hit his head,' the officer said.
Mr Phan, a senior structural engineer for Worley, was taken to Royal Perth hospital in a critical condition.
He tragically died of brain injuries following the May 31 incident.
Ms Kemp's 26-year-old pillion passenger was flung from the e-scooter but suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
The whole incident that was captured on CCTV lasted less than 10 minutes.
Pedestrian Thanh Phan died after being hit at the intersection of Murray Street and King Street by an e-scooter
Vehicle examiners who watched the footage estimated Ms Kemp reached up to 25km/h, while the speed limit for e-scooters on footpaths was 10km/h.
She was travelling at 24km/h when 'she careered into his back', prosecutors said, adding that this caused Phan to fall forward and hit his head.
A police prosecutor told Perth Magistrates Court on Tuesday that the 24-year-old a blood alcohol reading of 0.158 per cent.
The police prosecutor told Magistrate Richard Huston that an upgraded charge was 'guaranteed'.
Ms Kemp had been charged with dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm under the influence of alcohol, but that has now been upgraded to dangerous driving occasioning death under the influence of alcohol.
It carries a maximum penalty of 20 years.
Ms Kemp who sustained minor injuries and was not taken to hospital, also faces a charge of dangerous driving occasioning bodily harm under the influence of alcohol over her friend's injuries.
The unidentified 26-year-old was thrown from the scooter and suffered a fractured skull and broken nose.
The police prosecutor opposed bail as Ms Kemp was in Western Australia for four months on a working holiday visa.
As she had connection to WA, she was considered a flight risk to which the magistrate agreed, despite the accused woman's duty lawyer saying she could be under a 24-hour curfew and surrender her passport.
The magistrate said that remanding the British backpacker in custody was a 'very difficult decision for the court to make'.
But he said that the prosecution's strong case and the prospect of a long prison sentence if convicted meant that there was a risk of her 'not returning to court to answer the charges'.
'The temptation might be that (she) won't return. I can't manage that risk.'
Ms Kemp wiped away tears, according to Perth Now, as she was told she would be remanded in custody until her next court appearance on July 15.
Mr Phan's profile showed he studied in Singapore before working in Vietnam then Sydney before moving to Perth.
In a statement, Mr Phan's family described him as a 'beloved husband, father of two, brother and dear friend'.
Saying the news of his death on Monday night had been heart-breaking, they called for a review of laws and safety regulations around hired e-scooters 'to help prevent further serious incidents that put lives at risk'.
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