The young driver who killed a police chief’s son had denied the teenager a ride moments earlier even after offering money, court documents show.
Dhirren Randhawa had made a U-turn in his Volkswagen Golf when he was distracted by Charlie Stevens’ friends and did not see the 18-year-old in the path of his car until it was too late on November 17, 2023 at Goolwa Beach in South Australia.
Charlie, the son of SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens, suffered irreversible brain damage in the crash and died the next day at Flinders Medical Center.
On Thursday, the Stevens family came face to face with their son’s killer at a court hearing in Adelaide, after Randhawa pleaded guilty to aggravated driving without due care and leaving the scene of an accident.
The events leading up to the collision were laid bare in harrowing detail in a statement of agreed facts co-written by lawyers for the defense and prosecution and released by the District Court of South Australia to the court. Adelaide Advertiser.
Court documents revealed Charlie and three friends were celebrating Schoolies at a hut owned by his family in Goolwa Beach south of Adelaide.
They stopped Randhawa, who was driving with his girlfriend Montana, around 9 p.m Bowd, and asked for a ride to the holiday town of Victor Harbor, but he said no because he didn’t want to risk penalty points on his P plates.
Despite the group offering to ‘pay’ Randhawa for a ride, but ‘he still refused’.
Dhirren Randhawa, 19, will appear in the Adelaide District Court on Thursday for sentencing
The documents state that although some of Charlie’s group “drank alcohol,” the conversation with Randhawa was “amicable at all times.”
Randhawa made a U-turn and returned the way he came to Beach Road.
The statement of facts stated that the section of Beach Road was poorly lit with only two overhead street lamps providing no illumination beyond ‘their relative surroundings’.
“As Randhawa drove north, he could see some members of the group standing in the northbound lane, near the location where he had left them moments earlier,” the document said.
“Randhawa accelerated as he approached the group… the young men moved west toward the edge. Randhawa walked across the white-painted broken center line to the southbound lane to allow a safe distance to pass.’
According to the document, Randhawa was focused on the group to his left, but did not see Charlie on the east side of Beach Road.
“Charlie suddenly came into his field of vision from Randhawa’s right side,” the document said.
Charlie Stevens was 18 when he was hit by Randhawa’s Volkswagen Golf on Goolwa Beach in South Australia last November
“At that time, Charlie was in the southbound lane of Beach Road, heading west into the path of the oncoming Gulf.
“He then turned around and walked back east toward the eastern edge, trying to avoid the Gulf.”
When Randhawa saw Charlie, he did not brake or slow down, but turned northwest away from Charlie in an attempt to avoid him, court documents said.
However, he was unsuccessful and hit Charlie.
The document said Randhawa heard screaming “immediately after impact.”
“Believing that the group posed a threat to his and Ms Bowd’s safety, he decided not to stop,” it said.
“He continued north and turned off Beach Rd onto a side street where he stopped.”
SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens arrives at court with his family on Thursday
Charlie’s friends called Triple-0, while Randhawa called his mother, but got no answer, and then called his sister.
He resumed his ride towards Port Elliott.
He and Mrs Bowd passed a police car and as it made a U-turn, Randhawa stopped.
“Immediately after speaking with officers, he reported hitting someone with his vehicle,” the document said.
“Randhawa was tested for drugs and alcohol… The tests showed there were no drugs or alcohol in his system at the time his Golf struck Charlie.”
Earlier on Thursday, Commissioner Stevens explained to the court how the loss of his son had devastated the family in a moving victim impact statement.
Mr Stevens said he talks every day about his son, who would have turned 19 in April (Charlie Stevens is pictured)
‘Not a day goes by without us talking about Charlie, if we don’t talk about him together, there isn’t a day we don’t shed a tear when we think about our son and how much we miss him,” said Commissioner Stevens.
‘Charlie would have turned 19 on April 28 this year, but instead of celebrating it took all our efforts to get through the day.
“And we know we will carry that sadness with us for the rest of our lives.”
Commissioner Stevens looked directly at Randhawa before speaking.
“We recognize that you have taken responsibility for what you did and we are sure this has been difficult for you,” he told the young man.
“There isn’t a day we don’t shed a tear when we think of our son and how much we miss him,” Mr Stevens (pictured right with son Charlie) told the Adelaide District Court on Thursday.
“But you move on and the people close to you still have you in their lives. We don’t have Charlie and we want you to remember that.’
Randhawa apologized to the Stevens family.
‘You are always in my thoughts, just like Charlie, and you will always be. “There’s so much I’d like to say, but most of all I want to say, I’m sorry, and I’m sorry Charlie,” he said.
Randhawa’s mother Amreeta Stara cried as she expressed her dejection.
“Words cannot adequately convey the sadness and regret I feel for this devastating incident,” she said.
She spoke of the “emotional and mental turmoil” that has gripped her family since the crash which has “traumatically changed our lives forever.”
Judge Joanne Tracey will consider an appropriate sentence for Randhawa, who remains on bail.
Jane Abbey KC, appearing for Randhawa, said the parties accepted that “Mr Randhawa should have paid more attention to any risk that could have arisen from the darkness on the other side of the road.”
“And it was his (Dhirren’s) job to look more closely at the other side of the road.”
Randhawa was originally charged with causing Charlie’s death by dangerous driving, but pleaded guilty to the lesser offense of aggravated driving without due care, and leaving the scene of an accident after causing death.
He risks a prison sentence of up to 15 years and a license suspension for at least 10 years.
Judge Tracey set her sentencing date for October 22.
The Stevens family left the court after the submissions into waiting cars.
Randhawa refused to answer questions for the waiting media as he left the court.