Veronica Nelson treated inhumanely before jail dying, jail officer concedes

CCTV shows Brown, nurse Atheana George and two other prison officers provide Nelson with paracetamol although a cell lure door about 1.30am. It was the final time employees noticed her alive.

Throughout Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make 9 additional requires help over the prison intercom, including a ultimate two conversations Lacy described as “haunting” and “chilling”. Nothing was heard from Nelson after 4am. Her body was found later that morning.

Attending paramedics believed she had been dead for a while.

Taking to the witness stand for the primary time on Friday after a failed Supreme Court fight to suppress her identity, Brown revealed she now believed she ought to’ve done more to assist Nelson during her last hours.

Brown accepted she had a duty of care to Nelson and should have gone to examine on the 37-year-old after the inmate turned unresponsive throughout her final intercom call. She additionally accepted Nelson was deprived of “ample” medical care during her keep and never handled humanely.

The prison officer was additionally essential of the medical care provided to inmates and the condition in which some arrived on the Yarra unit. She mentioned evening 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 should not permitted to call triple zero and more senior workers would must be contacted to try this in any emergency, Brown said.

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

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

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

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

On the stand, Brown disagreed. Jones is due to give evidence subsequent week.

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