Veronica Nelson treated inhumanely earlier than jail death, jail officer concedes

CCTV shows Brown, nurse Atheana George and two different jail officers provide Nelson with paracetamol although a cell entice door about 1.30am. It was the last time workers saw her alive.

During Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make nine additional requires assist over the jail intercom, including a remaining two conversations Lacy described as “haunting” and “chilling”. Nothing was heard from Nelson after 4am. Her physique was found later that morning.

Attending paramedics believed she had been lifeless for a while.

Taking to the witness stand for the primary time on Friday after a failed Supreme Court struggle to suppress her id, Brown revealed she now believed she should’ve performed extra to help Nelson throughout her last hours.

Brown accepted she had an obligation of care to Nelson and should have gone to examine on the 37-year-old after the inmate grew to become unresponsive throughout her closing intercom call. She additionally accepted Nelson was disadvantaged of “adequate” medical care throughout her keep and never treated humanely.

The prison officer was also critical of the medical care provided to inmates and the situation by which some arrived on the Yarra unit. She stated night time nurses often refused to walk the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see patients during the night.

Prison officers are usually not permitted to call triple zero and extra senior employees would need to be contacted to do that in any emergency, Brown said.

An autopsy later discovered Nelson had the undiagnosed medical situation Wilkie’s syndrome, a rare however probably life-threatening gastrointestinal situation.

Rishi Nathwani, representing Nelson’s mom, was critical of Brown’s action and pressed the prison officer on an inside evaluate that praised her actions.

Nathwani stated in the review, Dame Phyllis Frost common manager Tracey Jones stated she was “proud” of the best way Nelson was treated in her remaining hours and that Brown “sensitively managed the intercom calls”.

Prison CCTV shows Tracey Brown, far right, attending Nelson’s prison cell alongside nurse Atheana George about 1.30am the day of Nelson’s death.

On the stand, Brown disagreed. Jones is due to give evidence next week.

Photographs and audio contained in this story were launched to the media with permission from the household. For twenty-four/7 disaster assist run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, contact 13YARN (13 92 76).