The young driver who killed a police commissioner’s son had refused a ride to the teenager moments before, even after offering him 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, son of South African Police Commissioner Grant Stevens, suffered irreversible brain damage in the crash and died at Flinders Medical Center the following day.
On Thursday, the Stevens family came face to face with their son’s killer at a court sentencing hearing in Adelaide after Randhawa pleaded guilty to aggravated driving without due care and leaving the scene of an accident without cause.
The events leading up to the hit-and-run were laid bare in harrowing detail in a statement of agreed facts, co-authored by defense and prosecution lawyers and delivered by the District Court of South Australia to the Adelaide Advertiser.
Court documents revealed Charlie and three friends were celebrating Schoolies at a Goolwa Beach shack south of Adelaide, owned by his family.
They called Randhawa around 9 pm, who was driving with his girlfriend Montana. He bowed and asked a trip to the resort town of Victor Harbor, but said no because he didn’t want to risk demerit points on his P plates.
Even though the group offered to “pay” Randhawa to take him, “he still refused.”
Dhirren Randhawa, 19, attends the Adelaide District Court on Thursday to present his sentence.
The documents state that while some members of Charlie’s group were “drinking alcohol,” the conversation with Randhawa was “at all times friendly.”
Randhawa made a U-turn to return the way he came on Beach Road.
The statement of facts indicated that the section of Beach Road was poorly lit with only two overhead streetlights providing no illumination beyond “its relative vicinity.”
“As Randhawa proceeded north, he could see some members of the group standing in the northbound lane, near the location where he had dropped them off moments before,” the document states.
‘Randhawa was accelerating as he approached the group…the youths moved west towards the edge. Randhawa crossed the white-painted dashed center line into the southbound lane to allow passage at a safe distance.
The document said Randhawa was focused on the group to his left but did not see Charlie on the east side of Beach Road.
“Charlie suddenly entered his field of vision from Randhawa’s right,” 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 this time, Charlie was in the southbound lane of Beach Road heading west and in the path of the oncoming Golf.
“It then turned to head back east, towards the eastern end, in an attempt to avoid the Golf.”
When Randhawa saw Charlie, he did not brake or decelerate, but instead turned northwest away from Charlie in an effort to avoid hitting him, according to court documents.
However, he was unsuccessful and hit Charlie.
The document stated that “immediately after impact,” Randhawa “heard screams.”
“Believing the group was a danger to his and Mrs. Bowd’s safety, he decided not to stop,” it says.
“He continued driving north, turning onto Beach Rd onto a side street, where he stopped.”
South African Police Commissioner Grant Stevens is seen arriving with his family at court on Thursday.
Charlie’s friends called Triple-0, while Randhawa called her mother but received no answer and then called her sister.
He continued driving towards Port Elliott.
He and Ms Bowd passed a police car and, as it made a U-turn, Randhawa stopped.
“Immediately after speaking with officers, he stated that he had hit someone with his vehicle,” the document states.
“Randhawa was subjected to drug and alcohol testing…the tests showed that there were no drugs or alcohol in his system at the time his Golf struck Charlie.”
Earlier Thursday, Commissioner Stevens detailed in court how the loss of his son had devastated the family in a heartbreaking victim impact statement.
Stevens said he talks about his son every day, who would have turned 19 in April (Charlie Stevens is pictured).
‘Not a day goes by without us talking “As for Charlie, when we don’t talk about him together, there isn’t a day that we don’t shed a tear thinking about our son and how much we miss him,” Commissioner Stevens said.
‘Charlie would have turned 19 on April 28 this year, but instead of celebrating, it took all our efforts to just get through the day.
“And we know that pain will be 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 have done and we are sure that it has been difficult for you,” he told the young man.
“There isn’t a day that we don’t shed a tear thinking about our son and how much we miss him,” Mr. Stevens (pictured right with his son Charlie) said in U.S. District Court on Thursday. Adelaide.
‘But you can 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 on my mind and so is Charlie and you will be forever. “There are many things I would like to say, but most of all I want to say that I am sorry and I am sorry, Charlie,” he said.
Randhawa’s mother, Amreeta Stara, cried as she expressed her devastation.
“Words cannot adequately express the pain and regret I feel over this devastating incident,” he said.
He spoke of the “emotional and mental turmoil” that has gripped his family since the accident that “traumatically changed our lives forever.”
Judge Joanne Tracey is considering an appropriate sentence for Randhawa, who remains free on bail.
Jane Abbey KC, representing Randhawa, said the parties accepted that “Mr Randhawa should have paid more attention to any risks that might have arisen in the darkness on the other side of the road”.
“And it was up to him (Dhirren) to keep a better eye on the opposite side of the road.”
Randhawa was originally charged with causing Charlie’s death by dangerous driving, but pleaded guilty to the lesser offenses of aggravated driving without due care and leaving the scene of an accident after causing death.
He faces a maximum prison sentence of 15 years and a minimum license disqualification of 10 years.
Judge Tracey has set October 22 for sentencing.
The Stevens family left the courthouse in waiting cars after the presentations.
Randhawa refused to answer questions to waiting media as he left the court.
