The Moss inquiry paints a picture of Steven Freeman as "good-looking", "cheeky" child and young man, whose life started going off the rails after his sister died of a heroin overdose when he was just 12.
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From an early age, he took pride in his appearance, the report says. He wasn't violent. His young daughter was "his whole world''. He wrote music, particularly hip hop, being a performer was his dream job. He liked cars and motorbikes.
Steven was diagnosed with ADHD at 6. His first court appearance was at 12, the year his elder sister died of a heroin overdose.
Philip Moss says the death had a big impact on Steven's mother Narelle King and the family. Steven started drinking alcohol. He left school in year 8. At 16, he started smoking cannabis. He spent significant time in youth detention.
In late 2014, he left his job and went overseas. On his return, he began offending again and using methamphetamine, or ice.
On April 27, 2015, he was arrested. Described as a "one-man crime wave" in court just over a week later, he faced 30 charges - motor vehicle, theft, burglary, escape and weapons offences.
He spent 13 months in jail, sentenced in February and March 2016 to 52 days for some offences.
"At the time of his assault in April 2015, and death in May 2016, Steven Freeman was on remand (and at law, presumed innocent of the charges he was facing)," Mr Moss comments.
Mr Moss draws no conclusions about why Mr Freeman was bashed so badly on the day he was taken to prison in 2015, nor how he died.
In March, 2015, when police visited Mr Freeman's mother's home looking for him, police said to her "if we don't get him, someone else will".
"The inquiry understands from Narelle King that Steven Freeman may have been involved with a drug consignment that was only part-delivered," Mr Moss said. "ACT Policing was unable to confirm the basis of this comment, and in March 2015 had no intelligence holdings relating to a risk to Steven Freeman's safety. "
One rumour was that Steven Freeman had caused offence when he left injured passengers behind at the scene of a car accident. He himself "seemed to be under the impression that the assault was motivated by incidents involving a "female"."
His mother was told on Christmas Day 2015 that ACT Policing was closing its investigation into Steven Freeman's assault, with no charges laid.
But Mr Moss said he had been given information about the identity of those involved in the assault and passed it on to ACT Police.
Steven Freeman was 25 when he died on May 27.
