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

CCTV shows Brown, nurse Atheana George and two different jail officers present Nelson with paracetamol although a cell entice door about 1.30am. It was the final time staff noticed her alive.

During Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make 9 further calls for help over the jail intercom, together with 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 dead for some time.

Taking to the witness stand for the primary time on Friday after a failed Supreme Courtroom struggle to suppress her id, Brown revealed she now believed she ought to’ve done extra to help Nelson throughout her last hours.

Brown accepted she had a duty of care to Nelson and will have gone to check on the 37-year-old after the inmate turned unresponsive throughout her ultimate intercom call. She also accepted Nelson was disadvantaged of “satisfactory” medical care during her stay and not handled humanely.

The prison officer was additionally important of the medical care provided to inmates and the condition during which some arrived at the Yarra unit. She mentioned night nurses usually 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 are not permitted to name triple zero and extra senior staff would need to be contacted to try 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 condition.

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

Nathwani stated in the evaluate, Dame Phyllis Frost normal supervisor Tracey Jones mentioned she was “proud” of the best way Nelson was handled in her ultimate hours and that Brown “sensitively managed the intercom calls”.

Prison CCTV reveals 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 due to give evidence next week.

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