During a three-day committal hearing in the Wangaratta Magistrates Court this week, magistrate Susan Armour heard testimony from witnesses that Ritchens had confessed to killing someone when he crashed his car on the morning of June 21, 2008.

Yesterday, a police officer who visited the accused on the morning of the fatality, told the court Ritchens reported to him his car had been stolen, but many of the things he said “just didn’t add up”.

Acting Sgt Gareth Gutierrez said Ritchens told him his car had been locked before it was stolen from Merriwa Park in Wangaratta, but he also said he did not know where his car keys were.

Sgt Gutierrez noted Ritchens had blood on his face and a swollen eye, and that he appeared to be under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

The court heard Ritchens told the police officer, “I’ve been on eccies (ecstasy) all night”.

According to notes taken by another police officer later that day, three red scratch marks were also observed on Ritchens’ lower back, which he said he had got while plastering.

At the end of the committal hearing, Ritchens entered a plea of not guilty to charges of dangerous driving causing death, culpable driving and attempting to obtain property by deception of an insurance company.

Yesterday, Erika Williams, the former work manager of Ritchens’ mother, Julie Ritchens, told the court Ms Ritchens had told her in a recorded conversation, “Kenny had reported the car stolen and he had already spent the money that he had claimed”.

Ritchens remained on bail and was due to reappear at Wangaratta Court in June for a directions hearing.