Bailey Pini inquest: Grandmother Beverly Nelson comforted to know he ‘didn’t suffer’

A grieving grandmother says her grandson at age eight wanted to help people get a job so they could earn money to buy a house and a car. But he would never get that chance after his life was tragically cut short.

When Bowen boy Bailey Pini was eight years old, he told his grandmother he wanted to help people get a job so they could earn money to buy a house and a car.

He would never get that chance.

Eight-year-old Bailey Pini tells a Whitsunday Times journalist “I would like to teach people how to get a job so they can get money, house and a car.”

Tragically, barely five years later his life would be cut short in a fiery crash after stealing a car from a state residential care facility in Sarina and driving it to Bowen with another teen.

His grandmother Beverly Nelson said the one thing that gave her some small comfort in the heartbreaking circumstances was that Bailey, 13, had not been awake when the flames engulfed the Toyota Echo about 6.45am on June 9, 2021.

A witness who had been first at the devastating crash on Queens Rd recalled the confronting scene as part of a coronial inquest into Bailey’s death.

The car had rolled and both boys had survived and were suspended upside down, Bailey’s legs were pinned within the front of the cabin because of the impact.

Bailey Pini had been living at a state-run residential care facility when he stole a worker’s car keys and drove to Bowen with another teen. The vehicle crashed on Queens Rd in the early hours of June 9, 2021.

The witnesses managed to pull the other teen from the wreckage before the fire spread.

“He tried to get Bailey out but he couldn’t, Bailey was stuck but Bailey was out to it – he wasn’t awake,” Ms Nelson said.

“I had nightmares about Bailey being alive and screaming and everything.”

Ms Nelson, who sat through an inquest in Bowen last month, said she was comforted knowing he had not been awake, “to know that he didn’t suffer”.

Bailey’s life “unravelled from the time his mother died” on June 29, 2020, the inquest found.

Sonia Pini succumbed after a short battle with cervical cancer, barely 12 months before his own death.

Bailey did not cope with the loss, but Ms Nelson, who is Sonia’s mother, said Bailey never spoke about his loss instead saying he was fine.

Bailey Pini (right) with his mother Sonia, who died after a short fight with cancer barely 12 months before his own tragic death.

At the time of the tragedy, he had been living at a state-run residential care facility in Sarina because “we had no choice”, Ms Nelson said.

Coroner Nerida Wilson found it was the only suitable option at the time. He was at the home for four weeks before the tragedy occurred.

Ms Nelson said she was shocked when she learned he had stolen a car.

“He’d never driven a car before in his life,” she said.

Bailey and another teen had gained access to a locked office while the sole overnight care worker – a 63-year-old woman – was asleep and took the car keys.

Coroner Nerida Wilson handed down findings following an inquest to prevent similar tragedies from happening.

“Maybe the room seemed lockable and appeared all right but boys will be boys,” she said.

Coroner Wilson found there were “adequate practices, procedures and policies” in place at the state level and the residential home “and they were adhered to” – but there were also “blind spots”.

“What is borne out by this inquest is that more robust measures / another layer of protection are required to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future,” she said.

“Had the keys not been available to them, Bailey’s death would not have occurred as it did.”

Ms Nelson also said she was surprised the facility did not already have a safe to lock up car keys, which was one of Coroner Wilson’s recommendations.

The family of 13-year-old Bailey Pini stand together holding his portrait, after the final day of the coronial inquest into his death in Bowen. (L to R): Aunt Angela Styles, brother-in-law Luke Jackson, sister Troydon Pini and brothers Kaylen and Jericho.

Ms Nelson said she worked in the disability sector and had always been given a metal lockbox to keep any keys or medications safe.

“It’s in place in the disability sector I can’t see why it’s not already in place there,” she said.

A lack of funding was cited as the reason for only having one worker rostered at night and no emergency back up.

The coroner, as part of her findings, endorsed but did not formally recommend funding for an “awake rostered staff member” to cater for appropriate measures during night shift.

Ms Nelson said she believed only having one person rostered on at night was a big failing.

She added it would have been better to have one person during the day and two people at night, so there was always someone awake during the shift.