1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,040 Speaker 1: All right, I've mentioned a number of times the sentencing 2 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:06,800 Speaker 1: of the nineteen year old man responsible for the death 3 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:09,600 Speaker 1: of Charlie Stevens. Let's go to Deanna Williams, court reporter, 4 00:00:09,720 --> 00:00:11,200 Speaker 1: seven Yews Dianna. 5 00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:13,280 Speaker 2: Good morning, Good morning, Matthew. 6 00:00:13,520 --> 00:00:16,720 Speaker 1: What's been the outcome? Tell we know one year, one week, 7 00:00:17,079 --> 00:00:20,479 Speaker 1: seven days suspended on a one thousand dollars good behavior bob. 8 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:25,320 Speaker 2: One year, one month, seven day, Yeah, and seven seven 9 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:30,480 Speaker 2: months non parole. So essentially, Darren has walked from court 10 00:00:30,520 --> 00:00:33,120 Speaker 2: on the good behavior bond and a suspended sentence. He 11 00:00:33,159 --> 00:00:35,000 Speaker 2: didn't say anything as he walked from court, but as 12 00:00:35,040 --> 00:00:36,840 Speaker 2: you can imagine, it would have been a very very 13 00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:41,559 Speaker 2: emotional time for him and similarly for the Stephens family. 14 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:45,360 Speaker 2: Grant Stephens spoke very briefly outside of court after the 15 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:49,199 Speaker 2: sentence and he described how incredibly difficult it still was 16 00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:53,720 Speaker 2: living without Charlie and every day doesn't get any easier. 17 00:00:55,360 --> 00:00:59,240 Speaker 2: But today have acknowledged that Darren has taken full responsibility 18 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:02,480 Speaker 2: his actions are that night, and also that it was 19 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:04,040 Speaker 2: a wake up corn And that's the other thing that 20 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:05,960 Speaker 2: the judge said. It's a wake up call to all 21 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:09,960 Speaker 2: of us, to all drivers that it's our responsibility to 22 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:13,679 Speaker 2: keep the proper lookout on the road. And then you know, 23 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:17,679 Speaker 2: the outcome here is not good for anyone. It's a 24 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:18,800 Speaker 2: sad case for everyone. 25 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:23,279 Speaker 1: Yeah. Absolutely, So the family didn't speak either. Dyrean's family. 26 00:01:23,520 --> 00:01:26,000 Speaker 1: His mum has spoken before, but not today. 27 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:28,560 Speaker 2: No, not today. She hasn't spoken at any of the 28 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:33,400 Speaker 2: court hearing. They just their lawyer, their legal team walked 29 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:35,959 Speaker 2: out ahead of them and a few and then about 30 00:01:35,959 --> 00:01:38,840 Speaker 2: ten minutes later, Darren and his mum walked out together. 31 00:01:39,520 --> 00:01:43,200 Speaker 2: They have not spoken before. He Dylan's quite stoic. He 32 00:01:43,319 --> 00:01:46,200 Speaker 2: was I was looking for sort of emotion, you know, 33 00:01:46,240 --> 00:01:48,400 Speaker 2: while he was standing in the dock as the sentence 34 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:50,400 Speaker 2: was being handed down. But there's very little. He just 35 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:53,520 Speaker 2: said straight at the judge. There was very little from him. 36 00:01:53,520 --> 00:01:58,400 Speaker 2: But I imagine inwardly that he would he would turmoil. 37 00:01:58,480 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 2: I would imagine inwardly. He's a nineteen year old kid, 38 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:04,960 Speaker 2: as Charlie was only eighteen at the time. They were 39 00:02:04,960 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 2: both really I know they're considered men at eighteen, but 40 00:02:07,880 --> 00:02:11,600 Speaker 2: really they're just kids. And you know, he made a 41 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:17,960 Speaker 2: terrible mistake. The leaving the scene of the accident was 42 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:21,880 Speaker 2: the higher penalty that attracts a high penalty of fifteen years, 43 00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 2: whereas driving without due cares twelve months. So it's The 44 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:31,480 Speaker 2: judge highlighted the importance of stopping at the scene of 45 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:33,880 Speaker 2: an accident if you hit anyone, or even you think 46 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:36,400 Speaker 2: you've hit someone, it's so important to stop at the 47 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:38,720 Speaker 2: scene of an accident. And she said, it's a wake 48 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:40,680 Speaker 2: up call to all of us, all of us who 49 00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:44,160 Speaker 2: have the privilege of being drivers on the road to 50 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:45,680 Speaker 2: keep a proper lookout. 51 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:48,399 Speaker 1: Yeah, and look, that's a really important message what you've 52 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:52,440 Speaker 1: just said for anyone with kids, young kids driving in 53 00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:55,320 Speaker 1: their first couple of years perhaps of being behind the wheel, 54 00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:59,160 Speaker 1: or grandkids, just pass that message onto them, because you're right, 55 00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:04,160 Speaker 1: I mean, tragic accidents can happen, and how you react 56 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:07,640 Speaker 1: to that in the immediate aftermath is so important to 57 00:03:07,639 --> 00:03:08,960 Speaker 1: what happens down the track. 58 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:13,079 Speaker 2: And he said, you know, she acknowledged that Darren had 59 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:16,960 Speaker 2: an experience a few years earlier and he may have 60 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:20,040 Speaker 2: panicked and the whole situation was overwhelming for him at 61 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 2: the time, and she acknowledged that could have contributed to 62 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:26,880 Speaker 2: him panicking and then driving off. But at the same time, 63 00:03:26,919 --> 00:03:30,880 Speaker 2: we must remember just to stop. You know, he stopped 64 00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:33,760 Speaker 2: not far down the road, but technically he didn't stop 65 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:36,040 Speaker 2: at the scene of the crash. And that's very serious. 66 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 2: It's a very serious defense. 67 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:40,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, there's a number of people saying already on our 68 00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:43,880 Speaker 1: text line here Diana, that Darren has got off very lightly, 69 00:03:45,320 --> 00:03:49,280 Speaker 1: given the response of Grant Stevens that they accept his 70 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:53,240 Speaker 1: full remorse. I mean they didn't complain about the sentence, 71 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:53,680 Speaker 1: did they. 72 00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:57,640 Speaker 2: No, No, they didn't. I think they acknowledged that nothing, 73 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:00,240 Speaker 2: no sentence that Darren is given is going to bring 74 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:02,240 Speaker 2: Charlie back. He's not going to walk through their front 75 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:07,120 Speaker 2: door again and read a letter, a personal letter of 76 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:10,520 Speaker 2: apology that Darren has written to them, which hasn't the 77 00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:14,480 Speaker 2: contents of which have not been disclosed. But obviously it 78 00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:18,000 Speaker 2: was enough. His words alone were enough for them to 79 00:04:18,080 --> 00:04:22,680 Speaker 2: realize that he too was a kid, and he's taken responsibility. 80 00:04:22,720 --> 00:04:25,440 Speaker 2: He acknowledges that what he did was wrong, and that 81 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:28,960 Speaker 2: he acknowledges that what he did has caused so much 82 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:33,080 Speaker 2: pain to the Stephens family and there's nothing much more 83 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 2: than he can do about that. He can't take that back, 84 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:39,320 Speaker 2: he can't take away their pain. He's acknowledged that what 85 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:43,160 Speaker 2: he did has just broken them, but they also are 86 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:48,640 Speaker 2: they're very incredible family, and they have accepted his letter 87 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:51,919 Speaker 2: of apology and accepted his apology. Albeit it doesn't change 88 00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:55,479 Speaker 2: for them what the heartache that they're going through and 89 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:57,400 Speaker 2: will continue to go through. They lost the youngest member 90 00:04:57,440 --> 00:05:01,680 Speaker 2: of their family, their youngest child. I can't imagine what 91 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:02,880 Speaker 2: that must be like. 92 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:07,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, you've sat through quite a number of cases like 93 00:05:07,279 --> 00:05:11,400 Speaker 1: this in your Korea, Deanna, is Darren Rwanda Randauer a 94 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:13,440 Speaker 1: lucky man today? Not going to prison? 95 00:05:14,120 --> 00:05:17,799 Speaker 2: Oh look, he others have gone. I've not gone to jail. 96 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:21,760 Speaker 2: I've sat through multiple caused death by dangerous driving and 97 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:23,880 Speaker 2: he wasn't charged with cause death by dangerous driving. His 98 00:05:24,040 --> 00:05:27,000 Speaker 2: was aggravated due care, driving without due care. I've sat 99 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:29,920 Speaker 2: in court case in trials where the defendant has been 100 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:33,839 Speaker 2: charged with causing death by dangerous driving and has walked 101 00:05:33,880 --> 00:05:36,560 Speaker 2: free with a suspended sentence. So I don't know if 102 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:40,760 Speaker 2: you would call him lucky. I think if you're looking 103 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:42,440 Speaker 2: at the letter, by the letter of the law, he 104 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:48,000 Speaker 2: was fought, he was fortunate, but by the letter of 105 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:50,760 Speaker 2: the law he did not. It wasn't dangerous driving. He 106 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:55,840 Speaker 2: was on drugs. He wasn't drinking, you know, there were 107 00:05:55,920 --> 00:05:59,920 Speaker 2: no other mitigating circumstances. He accelerated at the wrong time 108 00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:03,240 Speaker 2: and he didn't keep a proper lookout. And as I said, 109 00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:08,120 Speaker 2: he was charged with causing aggrobated due care, not causing 110 00:06:08,200 --> 00:06:11,160 Speaker 2: death by dangerous driving. I've seen plenty of people walk 111 00:06:11,480 --> 00:06:14,599 Speaker 2: from this courtroom while after that had been found guilty 112 00:06:14,640 --> 00:06:16,080 Speaker 2: of causing death by dangerous driving. 113 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:20,239 Speaker 1: Yeah, just absolutely tragic for everyone. And no winners today, 114 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:24,480 Speaker 1: no winners at all. Yeah, appreciate your time. Deanna, will 115 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:27,560 Speaker 1: see you report on seven News tonight. Thanks Matt, Thank you. 116 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:31,799 Speaker 1: Deanna Williams, court reporter for seven at the sentencing today 117 00:06:31,839 --> 00:06:37,240 Speaker 1: of Dyrean Randawah, sentenced over Charlie Stevens' death almost a 118 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:37,720 Speaker 1: year ago. 119 00:06:37,839 --> 00:06:39,719 Speaker 2: Now, it. 120 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:44,560 Speaker 1: Just awful. No winners, just no winners.