Adam Richards: Accused of helping stepdaughter Tarliah Defina flee Fairy Hill fatal crash scene granted bail

A man accused of helping his stepdaughter evade police detection following a double fatal crash which claimed the lives of a pair in their 20s sobbed as he was granted bail amid ongoing court proceedings.

A northern NSW man accused of helping his stepdaughter evade police detection following a double fatal crash which claimed the lives of a pair in their 20s sobbed as he was granted bail amid ongoing court proceedings.

Casino man Adam Peter Richards, 44, is charged with being an accessory after the fact to offence of dangerous driving occasioning death, after Tristan English, 26, and Jordan Chetcuti, 27 died by drowning when their car plunged into the Richmond River at Fairy Hill on March 26.

Richard’s stepdaughter – Tarliah Defina, 23, – was allegedly the driver of the vehicle and managed to flee the wreckage virtually unscathed.

The wreckage of a car that plunged into the Richmond River, killing two men aged in their 20s while a 22-year-old woman passenger escaped with her life is taken away from the scene.

Police allege in the wake of the crash, Richards attempted to give instructions to Defina to help her avoid arrest and disrupted the investigation, leading to his arrest at his Summerland Way home on November 25.

Defina is charged with two counts of dangerous driving occasioning death-drive manner dangerous, negligent driving (occasioning death), and driving a motor vehicle during a disqualification period.

Neither Richards nor Delfina have entered any pleas to the charges.

Tristan English, one of the victim's of the Fairy Hill tragedy that claimed the lives of two young men in March 2025.

In online Bail Court Division 1 on Wednesday, defence lawyer Kim Ivosevac told Acting Magistrate Robert Cook that bail conditions proposed would forbid contact between Defina who now lives in Glen Innes and Richards who resides in Casino.

Police opposed the application but it was ultimately granted, allowing Richards to walk free on bail.

Tristan English and his former partner of seven years, Anniqua Jayne Baker-Alvos.

The court heard Richards faces other unrelated charges including stalking/intimidation and failing to appear in accordance with bail conditions.

All matters will be heard when he returns to court on December 1 at Lismore.

Elsewhere, Defina will face Armidale Local Court on December 18.

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