Tauranga toddler Sadie-Leigh Gardner was 'incredibly loved', mum says at inquest into her death

A mother has told an inquest she wants her little girl who died at just 17 months old to be remembered as cheeky, affectionate and "so incredibly loved".

Sadie-Leigh Gardner died in Tauranga on March 29, 2019 after what a pathologist described as non-accidental blunt force head injuries.

Her mother, who had name suppression, started the inquest in Tauranga District Court on Monday by saying she wanted her daughter to be remembered by more than just what happened to her.

"She was cheeky, she was affectionate, she was clingy. She was loved by her people, she loved the water, she had an infectious smile and she was so incredibly loved.

"She was my daughter, my baby and always will be."

Coroner Tracey Fitzgibbon said the key questions the inquest was looking to answer was how did Sadie-Leigh sustain her injuries, were the injuries accidental, and when did they happen.

Forensic pathologist Dr Kilak Kesha did the autopsy and told the inquest the cause of death was non-accidental blunt force head injuries.

Kesha said Sadie-Leigh had a fractured skull and associated brain and neck injuries as well as a previously fractured shoulder blade.

"These injuries were severe, catastrophic and not seen in normal child's play."

Kesha said a blow to the head caused swelling and bleeding and caused the brain to shut down.

He said this would usually take hours, but that the toddler would have experienced "neurological deficit" within minutes.

The inquest was set to continue all week.