Veronica Nelson handled inhumanely earlier than jail dying, prison officer concedes

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

During Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make 9 further requires assist over the jail intercom, together with a final two conversations Lacy described as “haunting” and “chilling”. Nothing was heard from Nelson after 4am. Her body was discovered later that morning.

Attending paramedics believed she had been lifeless for some time.

Taking to the witness stand for the first time on Friday after a failed Supreme Court battle 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 will have gone to verify on the 37-year-old after the inmate grew to become unresponsive during her closing intercom call. She additionally accepted Nelson was disadvantaged of “sufficient” medical care throughout her stay and never handled humanely.

The jail officer was also vital of the medical care supplied to inmates and the condition during which some arrived at the Yarra unit. She said night time nurses usually refused to walk the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see sufferers through the night time.

Jail officers are not permitted to call triple zero and more senior staff would must be contacted to do this in any emergency, Brown mentioned.

An post-mortem later discovered Nelson had the undiagnosed medical condition Wilkie’s syndrome, a uncommon but doubtlessly life-threatening gastrointestinal condition.

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

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

Prison CCTV shows Tracey Brown, far right, 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 because of give proof next week.

Photographs and audio contained on this story had been released to the media with permission from the family. For 24/7 disaster help run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, contact 13YARN (13 92 76).