A man charged with allegedly running over a three-year-old girl in a western Sydney driveway has told reporters he is ‘very sorry’ as he faced court for the first time.
Sandip Adhikari, 27, appeared in Burwood Local Court on Wednesday after being charged with negligent driving occasioning death over the tragedy in Auburn less than 24 hours earlier.
Flanked by several supporters, Adhikari attempted to shield his face from cameras with a sheet of paper as he left court.
‘No questions, thanks. Of course I’m very sorry,’ he told reporters when asked if he wanted to apologise to the girl’s grieving family.
Adhikari will remain on bail until his next court appearance on October 27. He has not yet entered a plea.
His lawyer, Danny Eid, described the incident as a ‘very, very sad case’ while speaking on behalf of his client outside court.
‘He’s very, very stressed and worried about the family, worried about their welfare,’ Mr Eid said.
‘He’s asked me to relay his deep sadness to the whole family who have lost a beautiful young child.’
Sandip Adhikari, 27, appeared in Burwood Local Court on Wednesday, charged with negligent driving occasioning death.
Lawyer Danny Eid (left) said that his client (right) was ‘very, very stressed’
A three-year-old girl died in hospital after being hit by a car in Auburn on Tuesday
Emergency services were called to Normanby Road in Auburn shortly after 2pm on Tuesday after a girl was allegedly struck by a black SUV which had entered a driveway.
The girl was rushed to Westmead Hospital in a critical condition, where she died several hours later.
Adhikari was uninjured and was taken to Auburn Hospital for mandatory testing.
He was later taken to Auburn Police Station, where he was charged.
It is understood that Adhikari is not related to the girl but lives in a granny flat at the back of the property.
Police spent much of Tuesday afternoon in the cordoned-off street as they examined the crime scene.
Forensic officers were seen closely examining and photographing a Range Rover parked in the driveway.
The girl’s heartbroken mother told reporters off-camera on Wednesday that her daughter was in the front yard at the time, playing with a kitchen set as she hung out the washing nearby, something they did every afternoon.
Forensic officers examined a black Range Rover at the tragic scene on Tuesday
Sandip Adhikari (right) will remain on bail until he reappears in court next month
‘She used to always go to the playgrounds and we would find kids’ play things around here,’ a family friend told Sunrise.
‘She was so lovely, very cute, very pretty little girl. She was just three-years-old, not saying much of the world.
‘Whenever we came to visit, she was always very happy.’
Shocked neighbours often saw the little girl playing outside with her older brother.
‘It’s very sad because I’m a mother, so I hear the girl dying is very sad,’ one told the ABC.
The circumstances leading up to the crash remain under investigation.
Anyone with information or relevant footage is urged to contact Auburn Police or Crime Stoppers.
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