Veronica Nelson handled inhumanely before jail demise, prison officer concedes

CCTV shows Brown, nurse Atheana George and two other prison officers present Nelson with paracetamol though a cell entice door about 1.30am. It was the final time employees noticed her alive.

During Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make 9 additional calls for assist over the prison intercom, together with a closing two conversations Lacy described as “haunting” and “chilling”. Nothing was heard from Nelson after 4am. Her physique was discovered later that morning.

Attending paramedics believed she had been dead for some time.

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

Brown accepted she had a duty of care to Nelson and will have gone to check on the 37-year-old after the inmate grew to become unresponsive during her final intercom name. She additionally accepted Nelson was deprived of “adequate” medical care throughout her keep and not treated humanely.

The prison officer was additionally crucial of the medical care provided to inmates and the condition in which some arrived at the Yarra unit. She stated night time nurses typically refused to walk the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see patients during the evening.

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

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

Rishi Nathwani, representing Nelson’s mom, was important of Brown’s action and pressed the jail officer on an internal assessment that praised her actions.

Nathwani mentioned within the evaluation, Dame Phyllis Frost normal manager Tracey Jones mentioned she was “proud” of the way Nelson was handled in her ultimate hours and that Brown “sensitively managed the intercom calls”.

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

On the stand, Brown disagreed. Jones is because of give evidence next week.

Pictures and audio contained in this story had been launched to the media with permission from the family. For 24/7 crisis assist run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, contact 13YARN (13 92 76).