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

CCTV exhibits Brown, nurse Atheana George and two different jail officers provide Nelson with paracetamol though a cell trap door about 1.30am. It was the final time employees saw her alive.

During Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make nine additional requires help over the prison intercom, together with 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 dead for some time.

Taking to the witness stand for the first time on Friday after a failed Supreme Court docket struggle to suppress her identity, Brown revealed she now believed she ought to’ve completed extra to help Nelson throughout her remaining hours.

Brown accepted she had a duty of care to Nelson and may have gone to verify on the 37-year-old after the inmate grew to become unresponsive during her last intercom name. She also accepted Nelson was deprived of “enough” medical care during her keep and not treated humanely.

The prison officer was additionally critical of the medical care offered to inmates and the condition wherein some arrived on the Yarra unit. She stated night nurses usually refused to stroll the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see patients through the night time.

Prison officers aren't permitted to name triple zero and more senior staff would must be contacted to do this in any emergency, Brown stated.

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

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

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

Prison CCTV shows Tracey Brown, far right, attending Nelson’s prison cell alongside nurse Atheana George about 1.30am the day of Nelson’s demise.

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

Images and audio contained on this story were released to the media with permission from the family. For twenty-four/7 crisis assist run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, contact 13YARN (13 92 76).