A violent drunk driving incident that left multiple people seriously injured, one fighting for his life, has resulted in a significant prison sentence for the perpetrator at a South Australian court this week. The case, which unfolded in the small coastal town of Port Elliot in October 2024, has drawn condemnation from the judge over the offender’s complete disregard for human life.
The defendant, Eric Cooper, a New Zealand-born father of four who has resided in Australia since 2006, appeared before South Australia’s District Court for sentencing on Monday. The court heard how a night of drinking escalated into chaos outside the local Royal Family Hotel, starting with aggressive driving before exploding into violence.
Witnesses and court documents outline that Cooper was heavily intoxicated, driving through Port Elliot’s streets at high speeds with his engine revving, when members of the public confronted him, asking him to slow down and leave the area. Cooper took profound offense to the request, triggering a physical brawl between himself and other people at the scene. When Cooper retreated to his vehicle, members of the crowd smashed his car window in retaliation — an action the judge acknowledged was unacceptable, but one that Cooper himself provoked.
Instead of leaving the scene to de-escalate the conflict, Cooper made the deliberate decision to retaliate with deadly force. He drove roughly 2 meters forward, then slammed his vehicle into reverse, accelerating at full speed directly into a crowd of nine people gathered outside the pub. Tragically, many of those injured were innocent bystanders who had not been involved in the earlier brawl, merely caught up in the violent aftermath.
At the time of the crash, Cooper’s blood alcohol concentration measured 0.12, one and a half times the legal driving limit in Australia. In his remarks from the bench, Judge Heath Barklay delivered scathing criticism of Cooper’s actions. “There is no condoning their actions, but you brought it all on yourself – you were the initial aggressor,” Judge Barklay told the court. “You made a deliberate decision to drive dangerously. You say you are sorry that you hurt innocent bystanders, but at that time clearly you could not have cared less. You also appear to have a complete lack of insight into the fact it was your actions which caused this situation.”
The extent of the harm inflicted by Cooper’s choices is severe. The most critically injured victim, 22-year-old Jonathan Hogg, was pinned between Cooper’s Ford hatchback and the exterior wall of the pub. He was immediately left fighting for his life, requiring emergency life-saving surgery to stabilize his condition, and suffered two broken leg bones that required multiple follow-up procedures. Two other victims — a 35-year-old and an 18-year-old — also required surgery for serious sustained injuries, while all nine people impacted by the attack have reported long-term trauma beyond their physical injuries. “The harm they have suffered was not simply physical,” Judge Barklay noted.
Cooper had previously pleaded guilty to nine counts of aggravated dangerous driving, acknowledging his role in the attack. At the time of the incident, he had been residing in a caravan park in Goolwa, south of Adelaide, after separating from the mother of his four children, who range in age from 12 to 22.
In handing down the sentence, Judge Barklay ordered Cooper to serve six years in prison, with a non-parole period of three years and 10 months. The sentence was backdated to the date of the crash, meaning Cooper will remain behind bars at minimum until August 2028. Upon his release, he will be subject to a 12-year total driving ban. Additionally, as a New Zealand citizen residing in Australia, Cooper faces potential deportation to his home country following the completion of his prison term.