South Australia’s Police Commissioner has held back tears as he told the district court of his family's heartbreak over the death of his youngest son in a hit-and-run crash last year.
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00:00The hearing was an opportunity for family and friends of Charlie Stevens to tell the
00:06District Court about how his death in a hit and run had impacted on them.
00:10His father, South Australian Police Commissioner Grant Stevens, stood at the bar table with
00:13his wife Emma and told the judge of their heartbreak.
00:17He said not a day goes by when they don't shed a tear for Charlie and losing him just
00:21as he was becoming a man had taken the colour from their lives.
00:24They said special occasions like birthdays and Christmas had become difficult and the
00:28Commissioner became visibly upset when he spoke about Charlie's birthday in April when
00:32he would have turned 19.
00:34Mr Stevens told the court the family would never be able to return to Goolwa where the
00:38crash happened and that some songs were too painful to listen to.
00:42Nineteen-year-old Diren Randhawa has pleaded guilty to aggravated driving without due care
00:47and leaving the scene of the crash.
00:49He read a letter of apology expressing his deep regret and remorse for what happened.
00:54He said he thinks of Charlie every day.
00:57His lawyer argued the teenager shouldn't be jailed because of his young age and lack
01:01of criminal history.
01:02She told the court Randhawa may also be deported if jailed.
01:06But the state's most senior prosecutor called for an immediate jail term, saying this case
01:10was unusual because of the devastating effect of Charlie's death on the broader community.
01:16He said it had impacted people because the might and the power of the Police Commissioner
01:19was not enough to protect Charlie.
01:22Randhawa will be sentenced later this month.