A British backpacker who struck and killed a man while riding an e-scooter drunk has been jailed for four years in Australia.

Alicia Kemp, 25, from Redditch in Worcestershire, was driving at speeds of 20-25km/h (12-15mph) when she hit 51-year-old Thanh Phan from behind on a Perth pavement in May.

She had been drinking with a friend all afternoon, the court heard, and had an alcohol level more than three times the legal limit.

Mr Phan, a father-of-two, hit his head on the pavement and died in hospital from a brain bleed two days later.

A friend of Kemp, who was a passenger on the scooter, was also hurt in the crash – sustaining a fractured skull and broken nose – but her injuries were not life-threatening.

Kemp, who was in Australia on a working holiday visa, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death in the Perth Magistrates Court in August.

Judge Wendy Hughes said in her on sentencing on Friday that Kemp was “zigzagging across the footpath” and “driving in a reckless manner”.

The judge said Kemp did not stop to check for traffic at one intersection, meaning she could “have easily been hit by a car”.

She was also driving at speeds of 20 to 25km/h (12 to 15mph), while the legal speed limit for e-scooters on footpaths in Western Australia is 10km/h (6mph).

“You were driving at speed, you were weaving in and out of pedestrians and you showed no care or regard for any pedestrians,” Judge Hughes said.

After the victim was taken to hospital, Kemp continued to drink at other venues in the city until the early hours of the morning.

Judge Hughes spoke of the “profound effect” that the loss of Mr Phan had had on his family, including his wife, Ms Li, their two sons, and his mother.

“Ms Li tells me that the victim was a highly respected and dedicated structural engineer,” Judge Hughes said.

“She tells me that, first and foremost, he was the backbone of their family in every sense, emotionally, financially and practically. He was strong and loving.

“She tells me that he worked tirelessly to provide for his family, allowing her to work part-time to devote her time and energy into caring for their two sons, who are autistic.”

The court heard that Mr Phan was a hands-on father, especially with his eldest son who was unable to live independently, helping him with everything from bathing and eating to counting money and shopping.

“[Their eldest son] doesn’t have the capacity to understand that dad’s gone forever and that he won’t be coming back, which is heartbreaking,” Judge Hughes said.

“Their youngest son is struggling to get through his studies, and feels adrift without his dad’s steady support and guidance.

“Ms Li describes being both physically and emotionally overwhelmed by having to face this future alone, and she tells me that she’s also not in good health.

“Ms Li tells me that as a widow, the grief, the loss and the sadness she feels is overwhelming. Being alone at night is unbearable.”

His elderly mother, who lives in Vietnam, was too frail to be able to travel to Australia for the funeral.

The court heard that Kemp had experienced feelings of shame, anxiety and self-loathing since the incident.

The judge also said that Kemp had a low risk of reoffending.

Kemp’s sentence will be backdated to 1 June, and she will be eligible for parole after serving two years of her sentence.

Her driver’s licence was also disqualified for two years.

Addressing the defendant, the judge said: “You, Miss Kemp, are the cautionary tale. e-scooters are not toys.”

“You are responsible for that person’s death, and that is the truth for you. You are responsible for the death of a good man.”