Veronica Nelson treated inhumanely before jail death, prison officer concedes

CCTV shows Brown, nurse Atheana George and two different jail officers present Nelson with paracetamol though a cell entice door about 1.30am. It was the last time staff saw her alive.

During Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make nine further calls for help over the prison intercom, including a last two conversations Lacy described as “haunting” and “chilling”. Nothing was heard from Nelson after 4am. Her body was discovered later that morning.

Attending paramedics believed she had been lifeless for some time.

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

Brown accepted she had a duty of care to Nelson and will have gone to examine on the 37-year-old after the inmate became unresponsive during her closing intercom name. She additionally accepted Nelson was disadvantaged of “ample” medical care during her keep and never handled humanely.

The prison officer was additionally important of the medical care supplied to inmates and the condition wherein 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 throughout the evening.

Prison officers are usually not permitted to name triple zero and more senior staff would must be contacted to try this in any emergency, Brown stated.

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

Rishi Nathwani, representing Nelson’s mom, was crucial 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 basic supervisor Tracey Jones stated she was “proud” of the way Nelson was treated in her final hours and that Brown “sensitively managed the intercom calls”.

Prison CCTV reveals 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 because of give proof subsequent week.

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