Brit Faces 20 Years in Australia for 'Something Stupid'

Alicia Kemp fatally struck a man while drunkenly driving an e-scooter
Posted Aug 11, 2025 12:41 PM CDT
Brit Faces 20 Years in Australia for 'Something Stupid'
A man drives an E-scooter past the Old Opera in Frankfurt, Germany, Nov. 7, 2024.   (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

A British backpacker has admitted to causing a fatal e-scooter crash after she was kicked out of a bar in Australia. Alicia Kemp, 25, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death while intoxicated after she struck 51-year-old Thanh Phan in May. Kemp, who had a blood alcohol content over three times the legal limit, was traveling with a friend after both had been asked to leave a bar for being too drunk, per the BBC. She was reportedly riding at about 12mph to 15mph when she hit Phan from behind as he waited to cross the pavement.

Phan, a father of two, hit his head and died in the hospital two days later from a brain bleed. Kemp's passenger also suffered injuries—a fractured skull and broken nose—though they were not considered life-threatening. Prosecutors dropped an additional charge of dangerous driving causing bodily harm to the passenger.

Prosecutors said CCTV footage showed Kemp's reckless riding in the moments before the crash. In a statement, Phan's family described him as a much-loved husband, father, and friend. Kemp, who had been working in Western Australia on a holiday visa, appeared in court via video link and is being held in custody ahead of her sentencing. The maximum penalty for her charge is 20 years in prison. Her lawyer stated that Kemp was relieved to have entered a guilty plea. "She's obviously done something stupid," he said, per the Guardian, which reports sentencing is set for Oct. 31.

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