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

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

During Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make 9 further calls for help over the prison intercom, including a remaining two conversations Lacy described as “haunting” and “chilling”. Nothing was heard from Nelson after 4am. Her body was found later that morning.

Attending paramedics believed she had been useless for some time.

Taking to the witness stand for the primary time on Friday after a failed Supreme Court battle to suppress her id, Brown revealed she now believed she ought to’ve performed more to assist Nelson throughout her final hours.

Brown accepted she had a duty of care to Nelson and may have gone to check on the 37-year-old after the inmate turned unresponsive throughout her last intercom name. She also accepted Nelson was disadvantaged of “sufficient” medical care throughout her stay and never treated humanely.

The jail officer was additionally crucial of the medical care offered to inmates and the situation by which some arrived on the Yarra unit. She stated night time nurses typically refused to walk 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 name triple zero and extra senior workers would should be contacted to do this in any emergency, Brown mentioned.

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

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

Nathwani mentioned within the evaluation, Dame Phyllis Frost normal manager Tracey Jones said she was “proud” of the best way Nelson was handled in her closing hours and that Brown “sensitively managed the intercom calls”.

Prison CCTV exhibits Tracey Brown, far proper, attending Nelson’s prison cell alongside nurse Atheana George about 1.30am the day of Nelson’s dying.

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

Photos and audio contained on this story had been launched to the media with permission from the family. For twenty-four/7 disaster support run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, contact 13YARN (13 92 76).