Veronica Nelson handled inhumanely before jail dying, jail officer concedes

CCTV shows Brown, nurse Atheana George and two different jail officers present Nelson with paracetamol though a cell trap door about 1.30am. It was the last time employees noticed her alive.

During Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make 9 further requires assist over the jail intercom, including a closing 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 a while.

Taking to the witness stand for the first time on Friday after a failed Supreme Courtroom combat to suppress her identity, Brown revealed she now believed she ought to’ve carried out extra to assist Nelson throughout her closing hours.

Brown accepted she had an obligation of care to Nelson and may have gone to check on the 37-year-old after the inmate became unresponsive during her last intercom call. She additionally accepted Nelson was deprived of “sufficient” medical care throughout her stay and never handled humanely.

The prison officer was additionally important of the medical care supplied to inmates and the situation wherein some arrived on the Yarra unit. She said night time nurses often refused to walk the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see patients in the course of the night.

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

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

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

Nathwani stated within the review, Dame Phyllis Frost general manager Tracey Jones mentioned she was “proud” of the way in which 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 prison cell alongside nurse Atheana George about 1.30am the day of Nelson’s death.

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

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