The "shattered" family and friends of a Queanbeyan teenager have laid bare their pain, telling an inquest into the 17-year-old's death about the "beautiful, caring young woman" in a moving statement.
"The day you died, not only did your brothers and sisters lose you, but they lost their mother as well," Charli Powell's mother, Sharon Moore, wrote in the statement to the NSW Coroner's Court on Friday.
"I now have to find that twinkle in my eye again, that spark that you had the ability to make everyone you knew feel.
"I honestly feel like I will never get that twinkle back - my heart is shattered."
Charli, described by Ms Moore as her shadow, died in February 2019 after being found in a public toilet at Freebody Oval in Queanbeyan.
Her boyfriend at the time, Rohan Rosewarne, told the inquest on Thursday that he had found the 17-year-old after she committed suicide.
But the court heard members of Charli's family did not believe this to be true, and that they were "concerned about [Rosewarne's] involvement in her death".
A highly agitated Rosewarne, who is serving an unrelated jail sentence in the ACT, angrily denied on Thursday that he had killed Charli as he spent a full day giving evidence via audio-visual link from prison.
The statement from Charli's family and friends was due to be read aloud on Friday, but it was instead provided to NSW deputy state coroner Harriet Grahame in writing because of tensions in court.
Rosewarne's supporters had shouted at Charli's loved ones as they stormed out the previous afternoon.
Ms Moore wrote that Charli, one of seven children, had been "a little mother hen" who was always concerned with the welfare of others.
"As a parent, you want your children to be a better version of yourself, and although I never got to see you grow into adulthood, at 17 years old, I could see that you already were a better version of me," she said.
"I could not believe that [Charli's father] and I had created such a beautiful, caring young woman."
Charli loved people unconditionally, Ms Moore added, with wisdom and kindness beyond her years.
She used to skip in and out the front door of her home, and rooms would "light up" when she entered them.
Ms Moore said the home was now "so bloody quiet" without Charli, who was "the glue in our family".
"Now, Charli is gone, and we will never see or hear her again," she wrote.
"This is the most heartbreaking thing a mother and family can endure."
Kerrie Moore, Charli's aunt, added that there was a "missing link" at family functions, with Charli's "infectious laugh and giggle" no longer present.
Brother Lachlan Powell recalled how, growing up with Charli, there was "never a moment where we both weren't laughing".
"I love you Charli and miss you more than I could ever explain," he wrote.
Charli's best friend, Kaitlin Sanderson, said the teenager had given her "enough love to last a lifetime", describing their relationship as "a sisterhood".
"To say my life is empty without her is an understatement," Ms Sanderson wrote.
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"Everything about life is different. There is a massive shadow of grief that will stick with me forever, a constant feeling of guilt when achieving new things in life as I don't want my life to go on without her.
"Charli Louise Powell was truly the greatest gift to this world and that's why she couldn't stay for long -because she was too beautiful for everyone in it."
Findings on Charli's death are set to be delivered on May 27.
Sharon Moore said the family "pleaded" for Ms Grahame to make strong recommendations in relation to Charli's death, which "should never have happened".
"Charli, I love you now and forever, and we will get justice for you my beautiful girl," she said.
Those who may be distressed can seek support by phoning:
- Lifeline: 13 11 14;
- Mensline: 1300 789 978;
- Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800;
- beyondblue: 1300 224 636;
- 1800-RESPECT: 1800 737 732.
