Veronica Nelson handled inhumanely before jail death, jail officer concedes

CCTV shows Brown, nurse Atheana George and two other prison officers provide Nelson with paracetamol though a cell lure door about 1.30am. It was the last time staff noticed her alive.

Throughout Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make nine additional calls for assist over the jail intercom, including a last 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 some time.

Taking to the witness stand for the primary time on Friday after a failed Supreme Court docket fight to suppress her id, Brown revealed she now believed she should’ve accomplished extra to assist Nelson during her closing hours.

Brown accepted she had a duty of care to Nelson and should have gone to verify on the 37-year-old after the inmate became unresponsive throughout her closing intercom call. She also accepted Nelson was disadvantaged of “ample” medical care during her stay and not handled humanely.

The jail officer was also critical of the medical care supplied to inmates and the situation by which some arrived on the Yarra unit. She said night nurses typically refused to stroll the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see sufferers in the course of the night time.

Prison officers usually are not permitted to call triple zero and extra 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 uncommon however potentially life-threatening gastrointestinal condition.

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

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

Jail CCTV shows Tracey Brown, far right, attending Nelson’s jail cell alongside nurse Atheana George about 1.30am the day of Nelson’s dying.

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

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