British backpacker jailed after drunken e-scooter crash kills man in Australia

The court heard the backpacker was more than three times over the legal limit, as ITV News’ David Harper reports

A British backpacker who killed a father-of-two by drunkenly crashing into him on an electric scooter in Australia has been sentenced to four years in prison.

Alicia Kemp, 25, from Redditch, Worcestershire, was sentenced at Perth District Court, Western Australia, on Friday, after pleading guilty to dangerous driving causing death while under the influence of alcohol.

The court heard the backpacker was more than three times over the legal limit when she struck 51-year-old Thanh Phan.

Investigators estimated she was driving at about the maximum speed of a rental e-scooter, 12 to 16mph, when she crashed into Mr Phan, the court was told at an earlier hearing.

Judge Wendy Hughes handed Kemp a four-year prison term, backdated to June 2025 for time served, with a non-parole period of two years.

Thanh Phan hit his head on the pavement and later died in hospital after suffering a brain bleed. / Credit: 7NEWS

She could be eligible for release in mid-2027.

Her driver’s licence has also been suspended for two years.

Kemp was over Australia’s legal blood alcohol limit when she hit Mr Phan on May 31.

He died in hospital several days later, having suffered a brain bleed.

Kemp, who pleaded guilty to the charge in August, and the e-scooter’s passenger were treated for minor injuries.

The tragedy brought e-scooter safety into the national spotlight in Australia, leading Perth and a number of surrounding councils to suspend hire services indefinitely.

In an earlier statement, Mr Phan’s family described him as a “beloved husband, father of two and dear friend”.

Dangerous driving causing death carries a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment.

Under Western Australian law, e-scooter riders must wear a helmet, be sober, carry no passengers and be aged over 16.