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

CCTV exhibits Brown, nurse Atheana George and two other prison officers provide Nelson with paracetamol though a cell entice door about 1.30am. It was the last time employees saw her alive.

Throughout Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make 9 further calls for help over the prison intercom, together with a ultimate 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 fight to suppress her identification, Brown revealed she now believed she ought to’ve carried out extra to assist Nelson throughout her ultimate hours.

Brown accepted she had an obligation of care to Nelson and may have gone to examine on the 37-year-old after the inmate grew to become unresponsive during her closing intercom call. She additionally accepted Nelson was disadvantaged of “enough” medical care during her keep and not handled humanely.

The prison officer was also vital of the medical care offered to inmates and the condition in which some arrived on the Yarra unit. She said night time nurses typically refused to walk the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see sufferers throughout the night time.

Prison officers should not permitted to call triple zero and extra senior workers would must be contacted to do that in any emergency, Brown stated.

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

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

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

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

On the stand, Brown disagreed. Jones is due to give proof subsequent week.

Photographs and audio contained on this story were launched to the media with permission from the household. For 24/7 crisis help run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, contact 13YARN (13 92 76).