Veronica Nelson treated inhumanely before jail demise, jail officer concedes

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

During Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make 9 additional calls for help over the jail intercom, together with 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 useless for a while.

Taking to the witness stand for the first time on Friday after a failed Supreme Court docket fight to suppress her identity, Brown revealed she now believed she should’ve performed more to assist Nelson during her ultimate hours.

Brown accepted she had an obligation of care to Nelson and should have gone to test 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 throughout her keep and not handled humanely.

The jail officer was also important of the medical care supplied to inmates and the condition in which some arrived on the Yarra unit. She stated night nurses typically 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 usually are not permitted to name triple zero and more senior employees would need to be contacted to do this in any emergency, Brown said.

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

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

Nathwani stated within the evaluation, Dame Phyllis Frost common manager Tracey Jones said she was “proud” of the way Nelson was treated in her final hours and that Brown “sensitively managed the intercom calls”.

Jail CCTV exhibits 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 subsequent week.

Photos and audio contained in this story have been released to the media with permission from the household. For 24/7 crisis assist run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, contact 13YARN (13 92 76).