Veronica Nelson treated inhumanely earlier than jail demise, prison officer concedes

CCTV reveals Brown, nurse Atheana George and two other prison officers provide Nelson with paracetamol though a cell trap 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 further calls for help 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 lifeless for some time.

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

Brown accepted she had a duty of care to Nelson and will have gone to test on the 37-year-old after the inmate turned unresponsive during her last intercom call. She also accepted Nelson was deprived of “sufficient” medical care throughout her keep and not handled humanely.

The prison officer was also important of the medical care supplied to inmates and the situation through which some arrived on the Yarra unit. She stated night nurses typically refused to stroll the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see patients in the course of the evening.

Prison officers are not permitted to name triple zero and more senior employees would need to be contacted to do this in any emergency, Brown said.

An post-mortem later found Nelson had the undiagnosed medical situation 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 inner review that praised her actions.

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

Jail CCTV exhibits Tracey Brown, far proper, 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 due to give proof next week.

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