Dying Rose | Former cop lashes police response to Charli Powell’s death in men’s toilet

A former cop has slammed the investigation into 17-year-old Charli’s death – and revealed how her violent boyfriend, in jail for 76 unrelated offences, reacted in court.

Police called out after a 17-year-old was found dead by her violent boyfriend decided the death was a suicide before they arrived at the scene, her mother’s lawyer says.

Charli Powell was found dead in a men’s toilet block near Queanbeyan, just outside of Canberra, on February 11, 2019.

The NSW Deputy Coroner ultimately ruled Charli’s death was “intentionally self-inflicted in the context of domestic violence”, but said “somewhat naive” police missed their opportunity to question her boyfriend about the circumstances.

Michael Bartlett, who represented Charli’s mother Sharon Moore at the 2022 inquest before his recent retirement, said he believed errors in the police investigation were so significant that the process was entirely compromised.

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Charli’s mum, Sharon Moore, believes police let down her daughter. Picture: Martin Ollman

He said he believed the investigation “went astray” before officers had even arrived at the toilet block.

“The ambulance got there first and (Charli) was dead and the ambulance rang it in to the police as a suicide,” he said.

“The (police) car was told it was a hanging … I think that information meant when they got there they already decided it was a suicide and that was that. They never even looked any further”.

Charli’s body was found in a toilet block near Queanbeyan, just outside Canberra, on February 11, 2019.

Despite knowing of a warrant out for his arrest, a NSW Police senior constable told Charli’s boyfriend to “go home, have a cup of tea, coffee, get physically sorted out and then come back to the police station”.

He was not interviewed about her death until he was arrested over an unrelated matter more than eight months later.

Michael, who was a police officer before he started practising law, said the decision to let him go home was a crucial failing.

“It’s bad enough letting someone go on a warrant when you shouldn’t,” he said.

“It puts you in a really difficult position. They were my initial concerns with the police investigation and they never got any better.”

The Advertiser is examining Charli’s case as part of Dying Rose, a podcast investigation into the deaths of six Aboriginal women.

Charli had been known to police before her death – and Sharon believes this history led police to dismiss her concerns about the investigation.

Michael said there could have been multiple reasons why police failed to properly investigate Charli’s death.

“You got to ask the question, why don’t people do their job properly? Why don’t they? There’s a myriad of reasons, isn’t there. Indifference, tiredness, poor training, preconceptions, stereotyping,” he said.

“Charli didn't have much of a record. She’d been in a bit of trouble. But doesn’t take much in a country town for police to look at you in a negative way.”

Michael said the announcement of an inquest should have been an opportunity to finally have Charli’s death thoroughly investigated – but he and Sharon were disappointed in the way it unfolded.

He was appalled at the conduct of Charli’s boyfriend, who gave evidence by video-link from prison where he was serving a sentence for other matters.

The inquest heard that he had previously threatened to stab Charli if she was unfaithful, followed her to school and had her saved as “slut” in his phone.

“He went right off his brain at me, screaming and yelling and swearing,” he said.

“In 25 years of going to court, I’ve never had someone react like that. In my time in the police, I’ve never had someone I’ve dealt with react that badly.

Originally published as Dying Rose | Former cop lashes police response to Charli Powell’s death in men’s toilet