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South Australia's top cop has delivered an at-times emotional and touchingly funny tribute to his "Charlie boy", the 18-year-old apprentice carpenter ho died after an alleged hit and run during an end-of-school celebration.
Charlie Stevens was "no angel", Police Commissioner Grant Stevens told hundreds of mourning loved ones at Adelaide Oval's William Magarey Room last night, but he was a "good boy", with a "big personality, a big heart and a good soul".
From the opening chords of a song written by Charlie's brother to the placing of flowers on his coffin one-by-one by friends and family, those gathered heard how deeply Charlie was loved.
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"He genuinely cared about people," Grant said, tightly gripping wife Emma's shoulder.
"Everybody knew Charlie. He was known for his big heart and his big smile."
He said Charlie was unique, intense and single-minded with a "cheeky ratbag streak", who "probably got away with more" than his four older siblings combined.
Brother Tom described him as "my best friend, my biggest rival, my number one fan, my little brother", who was "an entertaining little fella" and "knew how to push every single one of my buttons".
His friends paid rousing tribute to a loyal mate who was always quick to laugh and welcome others.
Whether it was yelling out "bang" in a crowded cinema during a particularly tense moment in Mission Impossible or straight-up lying to his parents that he'd bought another sausage dog while they were away in Bali, he was always smiling.
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The footy-loving surfer, skater and downhill bike rider was "destined to be a tradie" right from the earlier years.
Friends raised eyebrows when Charlie, then three, got a real hammer and a real cordless drill for Christmas, his dad said.
"But we were sensible. He had to settle for a toy circular saw instead of a real one, much to his disgust," Grant said.
Charlie may have thanked them but the freshly disassembled cubby house, outdoor furniture and stepladder didn't.
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It was the outpouring of emotion and support from his friends that first threatened to get the best of the resolute police commissioner as he farewelled his son.
His voice cracked as he stressed how important they were for Charlie and thanked them for "being in our home" and "emptying the beer fridge".
When all the jokes were gone, what was left on stage was two grief-stricken parents, trying to come to terms with the sudden and unexpected loss of their teenage son.
"Charlie, your mum and I love you and we are devastated that you were taken from us so soon," the commissioner said.
"We said you were a force of nature. Full of energy, unstoppable, unforgettable. We are heartbroken now."
As he sniffed back tears, Emma urged him to finish the toughest job a parent can do, saying "you've got one more line".
"We can't think of you without smiling," Grant said, before he planted a kiss on his son's coffin and Emma buried her face in a bouquet of flowers as they walked back to their seats.
"We have missed you every day since we said goodbye and we will always miss you.
"We will love you forever Charlie boy."
Before the funeral, Charlie's parents wrote a powerful letter about their son, who was the 101st person to die on the state's roads this year, to show he was "so much more than just a number on a tragic tally".
The state government yesterday donated $100,000 to Operation Flinders Foundation in his memory.
The commissioner and his family encouraged the public to donate to the charity in lieu of flowers.
https://twitter.com/PMalinauskasMP/status/1730086413109186561
Charlie was killed at Goolwa during an end-of-school celebration when he was struck by a car at 9pm on November 17.
Dhirren Randhawa, 18, faces four charges, including causing death by dangerous driving, over the death of Stevens.
He is accused of driving away after hitting Stevens and is due back in court in March.
Victorian Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Lineham will temporarily become an SA Police special constable to ensure the investigation remains independent.
