Teen driver accused of killing Charlie Stevens banned from contacting the four eyewitnesses to the alleged hit-run crash

The bailed man accused of killing Charlie Stevens is banned from contacting the four eyewitnesses – who police say have conflicting accounts of what happened on the night.

Dhirren Randhawa is escorted out of Christies Beach Magistrates Court by family, including mother Amreeta Stara (far right). Picture: NCA NewsWire / Roy VanDerVegt

The teenage driver accused of killing Charlie Stevens has been banned from contacting the four eyewitnesses to the alleged hit and run crash – whose conflicting accounts underpin the case against him.

The Advertiser can also reveal both SA Police, and a veteran magistrate, refused Dhirren Singh Randhawa, 18, bail before the state’s top prosecutor consented to his conditional release.

Dhirren, of Encounter Bay, has yet to plead to allegations he killed 18-year-old Charlie – son of SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens – by dangerous driving near last week’s Schoolies celebrations.

18-year-old Dhirren Randhawa leaving Christies Beach Magistrates Court on Monday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Roy VanDerVegt

When he faced court on Monday, Director of Public Prosecutions Martin Hinton KC said he did not oppose bail so long as several conditions were attached.

Under the terms of his $15,000 bail agreement, Dhirren may not drive, be in the driver’s seat of any car or reapply for his licence, which police disqualified upon his arrest.

He is required to reside at the Fleurieu Peninsula home of his mother, hypnotherapist and author Amreeta Stara, be of good behaviour and attend court again in March.

Dhirren, a former apprentice barber and Victor Harbor High School graduate, was further banned from leaving the state, had to surrender his passport and – as is standard for all defendants – must not possess a firearm or ammunition.

Dhirren Randhawa. Picture: Supplied by family

Amreeta Stara with son Dhirren Randhawa. Picture: Facebook

Ms Stara, who has two other children, agreed to forfeit $15,000 if her eldest son breached any of the conditions, while he agreed to pay $1000 if he did so.

He further acknowledged that, under law, he could be fined $10,000 or jailed for two years for disobeying his bail conditions.

His bail does not require him to report in at police stations, nor does it impose home detention conditions or prohibit him from moving within the community.

The magnetic blue 2011 Volkswagen Golf hatchback involved in the alleged hit and run on Friday night. Picture: Gary Juleff

However, he must have no contact with, nor go within 100m of, three of Charlie’s friends and is further banned from contacting, or going within 100m of, Montana Rose Bowd.

She was, according to the court documents, Dhirren’s front-seat passenger on the night of the alleged incident.

Court documents, released by the Christies Beach Magistrates Court on Tuesday, chronicle events leading up to Dhirren’s release on bail.

Photo showing damage to the car involved in the alleged hit and run. Picture: Gary Juleff

The documents show that he first applied for police bail on Saturday, November 18 – the morning after his arrest.

Under the Bail Act, any arrested person may apply to SA Police to be released on bail, and their bid will be considered by a sergeant or officer in charge of a station.

The documents show Dhirren’s application for police bail was refused but do not record the reason why.

At 7.52am on November 18, he challenged that decision in a telephone hearing with the Victor Harbor Magistrates Court.

The weekend duty magistrate, veteran jurist Kym Millard, refused that application – however, his reasons are also not recorded on the documents.

Charlie Stevens with dad Grant. Picture: Supplied

Additional documents prosecutors have filed allege three of the witnesses, and Charlie, were waiting for the Schoolies bus back to Victor Harbor when they flagged down Dhirren’s magnetic blue 2011 Volkswagen Golf hatchback.

They further allege that, after refusing them a ride, Dhirren did a U-turn, started to travel on the incorrect side of the road and struck Charlie, of Colonel Light Gardens.

It is understood one of Charlie’s friends is a private school student and high-level water polo player and another an eastern suburbs rugby player.

In their documents, prosecutors allege Montana told police Charlie ran across the road into the path of her friend’s sports car.

They further allege she told police Dhirren drove a short distance from the scene before calling his mother to seek assistance.

Dhirren, nor his family, made no comment outside court.