Brit backpacker, 24, faces 20 years in jail after ‘mowing down dad-of-two on e-scooter following six-hour pub session’
A BRITISH backpacker is facing 20 years behind bars after allegedly ploughing into a dad-of-two with a hired e-scooter while more than three times the drink-drive limit.
Alicia Kemp, 24, was denied bail in an Australian court after being charged over the horror smash that left 51-year-old Thanh Phan with fatal head injuries.
The holidaymaker is accused of striking Phan from behind while speeding down a footpath in Perth with a friend on board as a passenger.
The Brit had also been drinking for six hours before the crash, reports The Sydney Morning Herald.
Prosecutors said Kemp had a blood alcohol content of 0.158 when she “careered into his back” at up to 25km/h as the dad stood at a crossing on Saturday night.
The court heard walkers had to “take evasive action” to avoid Kemp’s “inexplicably dangerous” riding, which was captured on CCTV.
Her 26-year-old passenger also suffered a fractured skull and broken nose.
Kemp, who was in Australia on a four-month tourist visa with her partner, had been working at Durty Nelly’s Irish Pub in Perth.
She had been drinking with a friend from 2.30pm before they hired the e-scooter just before 8.30pm.
Her bail bid was rejected after a magistrate ruled she posed too great a flight risk.
“It’s a very difficult decision for the court to make,” the magistrate said.
“The temptation might be that [she] won’t return… I can’t manage that risk.”
Phan’s devastated family described him as a “beloved husband, father of two, brother, and dear friend”, and are now calling for a crackdown on e-scooter safety laws.
“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 in a statement.
In a statement released through police, Phan’s grieving family pleaded for privacy and called on authorities to tighten e-scooter hire regulations.
“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.
Phan’s loved ones described him as a “beloved husband, father of two, brother, and dear friend,” and have urged policymakers to curb the growing number of e-scooter incidents in Perth’s Central Business District.
Local Councillor Anita Fong, who has been campaigning for stricter e-scooter rules, said yesterday that the accident underlined the urgent need for comprehensive safety measures.
“We have seen too many near-misses and hospitalisations in recent months,” Fong stated.
“This tragedy should serve as a wake-up call.”
Kemp remains in custody on remand and is due back in court on July 15.
Police prosecutors argued that Kemp’s status as a foreign tourist working in Perth made her a flight risk, and highlighted the severity of her charges.
Western Australian police have confirmed they will continue to investigate whether any additional offences, including possible public nuisance charges, could be laid against Kemp.
Meanwhile, e-scooter hire companies in the city are already feeling pressure to introduce speed limiters and more rigorous ID checks after dark.