Veronica Nelson handled inhumanely before jail dying, prison officer concedes

CCTV exhibits Brown, nurse Atheana George and two other jail officers present 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 9 further calls for assist over the jail intercom, together with a remaining 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 lifeless for some time.

Taking to the witness stand for the primary time on Friday after a failed Supreme Courtroom fight to suppress her identification, Brown revealed she now believed she ought to’ve completed more to help Nelson during her ultimate hours.

Brown accepted she had a duty of care to Nelson and should have gone to test on the 37-year-old after the inmate became unresponsive during her remaining intercom name. She also accepted Nelson was disadvantaged of “sufficient” medical care during her stay and not handled humanely.

The jail officer was also important of the medical care supplied to inmates and the situation in which some arrived on the Yarra unit. She mentioned night nurses usually refused to walk the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see sufferers throughout the night.

Prison officers usually are not permitted to name triple zero and extra senior employees would have to be contacted to try this in any emergency, Brown said.

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

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

Nathwani mentioned in the evaluation, Dame Phyllis Frost general supervisor Tracey Jones stated she was “proud” of the way Nelson was treated in her remaining hours and that Brown “sensitively managed the intercom calls”.

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

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

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