In short:
Grandfather Damodar Shrestha died after being hit by a car in Marsden Park in Sydney’s west last month.
Police allege 32-year-old Gurpreet Singh swapped cars after hitting the 79-year-old, and later left the country.
What’s next:
He will face court again in September.
A man who allegedly ran over a grandfather and left him for dead in Sydney’s west swapped cars after the crash before leaving the country, a court has heard.
Gurpreet Singh, 32, was arrested as he returned to Australia at the Sydney International Airport on Wednesday and charged with multiple serious driving offences including failing to stop and assist after causing death.
Emergency services were called to Abell Road in Marsden Park at around 11.30pm on June 30 after reports an injured man was found by a member of the public on the side of the road.
Paramedics treated the 79-year-old grandfather, Damodar Shrestha, but he died at the scene.
Appearing at Sydney Local Court on Thursday morning, Mr Singh was granted strict bail despite the magistrate agreeing there was a “strong” case against him because the entire crash was captured on CCTV footage.
The court heard Mr Singh was seen at least six hours after the crash in Seven Hills, where he “swapped” the car he was driving for a rental van, which his barrister Mario Licha said was to complete another delivery job in Newcastle.
Mr Licha said the 32-year-old then flew to India days after the incident to see his “seriously ill father”, but returned to Australia immediately so he could “face the music” after learning police wanted to speak with him.
“A very unfortunate accident … but [when you consider] his behaviour post-accident … he’s not the most callous person I’ve met,” Mr Licha said.
“If he thought he had hit someone, he would do exactly what you would expect people to do, stop.”
Prosecutor argues it unlikely Mr Singh didn’t know he had hit man
In opposing bail, the police prosecutor told the court it was not “feasible” that Mr Singh didn’t realise he had hit the grandfather and that footage of the incident “didn’t paint a pretty picture”.
“A man willing to drive off after so obviously hitting a member of the community and not rendering aid … is a danger to the community in general,” he said.
During the hearing, Mr Singh’s lawyer cited media coverage of the crash, which reported that a petition had been started for Blacktown City Council to build a footpath on a section of Abell road and also quoted reports that residents were “scared of that road”.
“At least two cars drove past the victim before a third car stopped and rendered assistance,” Mr Licha told the court.
In successfully applying for bail, Mr Licha said his client is the owner of two delivery service companies and is the sole-provider for his wife and children.
“[If he is not released] what will suffer is his wife, his children, the mortgage repayments and the 27 people contracted to the companies he runs,” he said.
The magistrate noted while Mr Singh did not have a criminal history, he did not have a “great” traffic record including multiple speeding fines.
But the magistrate ultimately granted him bail, citing that there was not enough evidence he would pose a risk to the community under strict bail conditions.
Those conditions include that the accused must not sit in the driver’s side of a vehicle, he must reside at his residence in Melonba, and surrender his passport.
He will face court again in September.