Alicia Kemp, 25, a British backpacker, was jailed for four years after riding an electric scooter while intoxicated and striking 51-year-old Thanh Phan in Perth. Mr Phan died two days later from a brain bleed; a passenger on the scooter survived with serious head injuries. Kemp’s blood alcohol concentration was 0.185 and she was travelling at the scooter’s top speed of 12–15 mph. The sentence is backdated to 1 June, with parole eligibility after two years.
British Backpacker Jailed For Four Years After Drunk E‑Scooter Crash Kills Man In Perth
Thanh Phan hit his head on the pavement causing a bleed on the brain
A British backpacker, Alicia Kemp, 25, has been sentenced to four years in prison after she struck and killed a pedestrian while riding an electric scooter under the influence in Perth, Western Australia earlier this year.
The Crash
Kemp was travelling at the scooter's top speed — between 12 and 15 mph — when she collided with 51-year-old Thanh Phan. Mr Phan hit his head on the pavement and died in hospital two days later from a brain bleed. A friend who had been riding on the back of the scooter survived but suffered serious injuries, including a fractured skull and a broken nose.
Evidence And Circumstances
Police and court evidence showed Kemp had been drinking with friends all afternoon. Her blood alcohol concentration was measured at 0.185 — more than three times Western Australia’s legal driving limit. CCTV footage captured the pair stumbling on the footpath and struggling to maintain balance before mounting the scooter; the recording shows them initially falling from the vehicle and later travelling along the pavement so close to a pedestrian that the woman had to jump aside to avoid being struck.
Alicia Kemp was sentenced to four years in prison - TikTok
Background
Kemp was in Australia on a working-holiday visa. Before arriving she had been backpacking in south‑east Asia, volunteering at an animal shelter in the Philippines and teaching English in Vietnam. Her LinkedIn profile described her as a “digital nomad” on a “career break.” On arrival in Australia she worked as an au pair and later at Durty Nelly’s Irish Pub in Perth.
Sentence And Reactions
Judge Wendy Hughes sentenced Kemp to four years in prison, with the term to be backdated to 1 June. Kemp will be eligible to apply for parole after serving two years.
“You, Miss Kemp, are the cautionary tale,” Judge Hughes said, adding: “E-scooters are not toys… if you drive while drunk at speed with a passenger without due care or attention and break the rules, that is not an accident.”
Mr Phan’s wife, Loan Lee, did not attend the hearing but her victim-impact statement was read in court. She described her husband as the family’s “backbone,” saying his absence left her feeling “exposed and isolated.” She also said their two sons, both autistic, have struggled to cope with their father’s death and added: “The pain of watching someone wait for someone who will never return is indescribable.”
Notes
The case highlights legal and safety concerns around e‑scooter use, particularly when combined with alcohol and carrying passengers on devices designed for single riders.
