Veronica Nelson treated inhumanely earlier than jail death, jail officer concedes

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

During Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make nine further calls for help over the jail intercom, together with a remaining 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 dead for a while.

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

Brown accepted she had an obligation of care to Nelson and should have gone to check on the 37-year-old after the inmate turned unresponsive during her remaining intercom name. She also accepted Nelson was disadvantaged of “enough” medical care throughout her stay and never handled humanely.

The prison officer was also crucial of the medical care provided to inmates and the situation in which some arrived at the Yarra unit. She stated night nurses often refused to walk the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see sufferers through the night.

Prison officers will not be permitted to call triple zero and more senior staff would need to 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 uncommon however doubtlessly life-threatening gastrointestinal situation.

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

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

Jail CCTV reveals Tracey Brown, far proper, 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 due to give evidence next week.

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