Veronica Nelson treated inhumanely before jail loss of life, prison officer concedes

CCTV reveals Brown, nurse Atheana George and two other jail officers provide Nelson with paracetamol although a cell trap door about 1.30am. It was the last time employees noticed her alive.

Throughout Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make nine further calls for help over the jail intercom, together with a remaining 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 useless for some time.

Taking to the witness stand for the first time on Friday after a failed Supreme Court docket fight to suppress her identity, Brown revealed she now believed she ought to’ve accomplished extra to help Nelson during her final hours.

Brown accepted she had a duty of care to Nelson and may have gone to test on the 37-year-old after the inmate grew to become unresponsive during her closing intercom call. She additionally accepted Nelson was deprived of “satisfactory” medical care during her stay and never handled humanely.

The prison officer was also essential of the medical care provided to inmates and the situation wherein some arrived at the Yarra unit. She stated night nurses often refused to stroll the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see sufferers in the course of the evening.

Prison officers will not be permitted to call triple zero and extra senior employees would have to be contacted to do this in any emergency, Brown said.

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

Rishi Nathwani, representing Nelson’s mother, was essential of Brown’s motion and pressed the prison officer on an inner overview that praised her actions.

Nathwani stated within the review, Dame Phyllis Frost general supervisor Tracey Jones mentioned she was “proud” of the best way Nelson was handled in her last hours and that Brown “sensitively managed the intercom calls”.

Prison CCTV reveals Tracey Brown, far proper, attending Nelson’s jail cell alongside nurse Atheana George about 1.30am the day of Nelson’s death.

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

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