A British backpacker allegedly killed a father after ploughing into him while riding drunk on an e-scooter, an Australian court has heard.
Alicia Kemp, 24, potentially faces up to 20 years in prison after she was arrested and charged for allegedly riding the hired e-scooter on a footpath and knocking down 51-year-old engineer Thanh Phan, 51, who died of brain injuries following the May 31 tragedy in Perth, Western Australia.
Kemp was told by Perth Magistrates Court that she could not be bailed out as she posed too great a flight risk.
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 in Perth since arriving.
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, she hired an e-scooter at around 8.30pm. 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, which as caught on CCTV, and that pedestrians were forced to ‘take evasive action’ as she rode down Murray Street in Perth’s Central Business District.
She had a blood alcohol level of 0.158 as she was riding. Western Australian law states that electric vehicle drivers must have a level lower than 0.05 to legally drive.
Prosecutors said that Kemp was driving in an ‘inexplicably dangerous’ manner, which as caught on CCTV, and that pedestrians were forced to ‘take evasive action’ as she rode down Murray Street in Perth’s Central Business District (File image)
Alicia Kemp, 24, potentially faces up to 20 years in prison after she was arrested and charged for allegedly riding the hired e-scooter on a footpath and knocking down 51-year-old engineer Thanh Phan (pictured)
She was also travelling at 15mph as ‘she careered into his back’, prosecutors said, adding that this caused Phan to fall forward and hit his head.
Tragically, he suffered ‘a significant brain bleed’, while Kemp’s friend, a 26-year-old who had not yet been identified, was thrown from the scooter and suffered a fractured skull and broken nose.
Phan was taken to the Royal Perth Hospital for surgery, where he died on Tuesday.
His family said in a statement following his death: ‘On Saturday night, Thanh Phan – a beloved husband, father of two, brother, and dear friend – was struck by an electric scooter and critically injured.
‘We received the heartbreaking news that Thanh passed away as a result of his injuries.
‘We ask that the media respect the privacy of Thanh’s family as they grieve their loss.
‘The family has no other comment to make on the issue at this time.’
The magistrate in charge of Alicia’s case said that remanding the British backpacker in custody was a ‘very difficult decision for the court to make.
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 in Perth (pictured) since arriving
Phan was taken to the Royal Perth Hospital for surgery, where he died on Tuesday
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 ‘[Kemp] not returning to court to answer the charges’, adding: ‘The temptation might be that [she] won’t return. I can’t manage that risk.’
Kemp remains in custody and will appear before the court again on July 15.
