Veronica Nelson handled inhumanely earlier than jail demise, jail officer concedes

CCTV reveals Brown, nurse Atheana George and two different prison officers provide Nelson with paracetamol although a cell trap door about 1.30am. It was the final time workers noticed her alive.

Throughout Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make nine additional requires help over the jail intercom, including a ultimate two conversations Lacy described as “haunting” and “chilling”. Nothing was heard from Nelson after 4am. Her physique was discovered 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 Courtroom struggle to suppress her identification, 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 may have gone to examine on the 37-year-old after the inmate became unresponsive throughout her last intercom name. She also accepted Nelson was disadvantaged of “sufficient” medical care throughout her stay and never handled humanely.

The jail officer was also important of the medical care offered to inmates and the situation through which some arrived on the Yarra unit. She mentioned night nurses typically refused to stroll the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see sufferers during the evening.

Prison officers are usually 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 found Nelson had the undiagnosed medical condition Wilkie’s syndrome, a rare but potentially life-threatening gastrointestinal situation.

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

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

Jail CCTV shows Tracey Brown, far proper, attending Nelson’s jail cell alongside nurse Atheana George about 1.30am the day of Nelson’s dying.

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

Pictures 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 people, contact 13YARN (13 92 76).