NSW man Eric Cooper pleads guilty to running down people with car outside Port Elliot pub

A drunk driver has admitted he reversed his car into a group of pubgoers outside a hotel – leaving a young bottle shop worker fighting for life.

A NSW man has admitted to ploughing into a group of pub-goers outside a beloved Port Elliot institution after a night of drinking, a court has heard.

Eric Cooper, 37, appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court in front of Chief Magistrate Mary-Louise Hribal to enter pleas over the crash that left a young bottle-shop employee fighting for his life.

On Tuesday, Cooper pleaded guilty to aggravated cause serious harm by dangerous driving, eight counts of aggravated cause harm by dangerous driving, leaving the scene of an accident after causing harm and aggravated due care.

The court heard he had a blood concentration of 0.08g “or more, of alcohol” at the time of the crash outside the Royal Family Hotel.

The Royal Family Hotel in Port Elliot. Picture: Matt Loxton

Emergency services at the scene. Picture: Gary Juleff

Harrowing video obtained by The Advertiser in October last year shows the moment the car, driven by Cooper, reverses into a group of people outside the hotel.

The footage, shot from a balcony near the pub about 1.40am, shows a group of four men following Cooper – who opens the driver’s side door of the blue Ford hatchback and attempts to get in.

One of the group of men then appears to push Cooper into the car as he’s entering, before at least three men start punching and kicking the car as it drives off. None of the group have been charged.

Cooper then drives about 20m up the street before coming to a halt and then reversing directly into a group of people standing outside the pub.

The crash injured a 22-year-old Hindmarsh Island bottle shop employee who reportedly stepped in to break up the fight, leaving him with leg and head injuries.

The man was flown to RAH with serious life-threatening injuries where he underwent surgery.

One victim was flown to hospital. Picture: Gary Juleff

Five people sustained injuries. Picture: Gary Juleff

Four other people, including Gidget Whibley, 20, from Inman Valley and her friends – a 21-year-old Goolwa Beach man, a 37-year-old Port Elliott woman and a 30-year-old Blackwood man – were also injured.

Ms Whibley told The Advertiser she was grateful to be alive and “it could have been so much worse”.

“He started going the other way and I couldn’t remember what happened next – it was all just a blur,” she said.

“I remember getting up off the ground and thinking, ‘Can I feel anything? Am I breathing?’ But nothing was broken.

“We were all pretty traumatised. We were just baffled that we were all alive.”

On Tuesday, Chief Magistrate Hribal remanded Cooper in custody to appear in the District Court in June, where he will await sentencing.

Originally published as NSW man Eric Cooper pleads guilty to running down people with car outside Port Elliot pub