A meeting was scheduled to determine the future care of Bailey Pini the same day the teenager died in a fiery crash.
The twist was just the latest tragedy to be revealed in a coronial inquest examining the circumstances leading to his death.
Bailey had been placed in a temporary care arrangement nearly a year after his mother died of cancer.
A coronial inquest into his death continued in Bowen Courthouse on Thursday before coroner Nerida Wilson.
Bailey's sister Troyden Pini spoke about her little brother and the events leading up to his death.
Ms Pini stood in the witness box with the hand of her husband Luke Jackson on her shoulder and brothers Jerricho and Kalib standing behind.
'He loved a good prank'
She held notes on yellow paper as she delivered her family's statement titled Bailey's Short-Lived Life.
Her brother was born in Townsville Hospital on November 9, 2007.
"Bailey was in no way a saint, he loved a good prank to get a little cheek and attempt to bend a few rules, however he was overall a good kid with a huge heart and always well-mannered with so much love to give," Ms Pini said.
"Our mum was always by his side day in, day out. One could say Bailey and our mum were two peas in a pod, joined at the hip."
Ms Pini said her family tried to come to terms with her mother's 2020 death but at only age 12, Bailey couldn't.
"He watched his rock, his go-to, the woman that had stood by him his whole life deteriorate right in front of us," Ms Pini said.
She said he would act as though he was fine and console and comfort her family but then lash out with disruptive behaviour and attitude.
"We were failing to support him mentally and emotionally during his grieving process. We thought child safety was the safest option.
Through tears Ms Pini continued, her voice cracking as she spoke about her family's decision.
"We believed Bailey needed a safe, stable home to reside at that would offer him the support he needed to deal with our mum's passing," she said.
She said her brother was in the care of child safety for 27 days.
"If we can make changes to how we protect children like Bailey to prevent a future tragedy like this to another child, then as a community we have succeeded and learnt from this."
Mrs Pini thanked the efforts of first responders to the crash and everyone involved in the inquest.
Not the first attempt
The inquest heard there had been multiple attempts by residents to get access to carer's keys and cars prior to Bailey's arrival at the Sarina care facility.
Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women executive director Barbara Shaw was questioned by the care facility's barrister Anthony Collins.
Ms Shaw said an unannounced inspection had taken place just five days before Bailey's death.
She said it had ascertained that procedures were being followed correctly and the keys had been securely locked.
She ordered an audit of care facilities' car key security to assist in the inquest, which she said revealed of the 512 inspected so far, 86 per cent per cent had been compliant.
The security of the keys were just one of the elements being examined in the inquest, which also focused on whether or not there was a need additional supervision at the facility and the fatal crash.
The people and culture executive manager of the care facility company gave evidence in which he told the inquest if his non-for-profit company could secure the funding for additional or on-call staff, they would implement it.
Broken-hearted frustrations
Speaking to the ABC outside Bowen Courthouse, Ms Pini expressed her frustration at the lack of knowledge her family had both when they first decided to allow Bailey into state care and after his death.
"We had no idea about the events at the house prior, we had no idea about any of the witnesses who came forward, we didn't know who was first on the scene or any of that, we didn't get any of that information," Ms Pini said.
She said she wanted to see more funding for state care facilities and hoped to see a framework to have two overnight officers, or at least one on-call, enacted.
"At the end of the day, there has to be some sort of budget, but the sole purpose has to be for these children's safety," Ms Pini said.
Ms Pini said she was grateful for the inquest and the light it had shed, particularly the opportunity she now had to thank Steve Wilson, the man who had tried to rescue her brother from the inferno.
"I actually wanted to get up and give Steven Wilson a hug," she said.
Mr Wilson gave a chilling account of the moments leading up to Bailey's death during his evidence on Wednesday.
"As much as this was about our brother, my heart broke for him," Ms Pini said.
"It really made me emotional when I heard him speak, I know him locally and have always eaten from his burger shop and I had no idea who it was or how much it has impacted him."
Ms Pini said said she felt some relief at the conclusion of the evidence, noting how the year of questions since her brother's death had made it difficult to move on.
Final submissions are expected to be heard from counsel assisting John Aberdeen, Department of Children, Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs barrister Karen Carmody and the care facility's barrister Anthony Collins next Friday.
