Veronica Nelson treated inhumanely before jail dying, prison officer concedes

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

Throughout Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make 9 additional requires help over the jail 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 docket fight to suppress her id, Brown revealed she now believed she ought to’ve executed extra to help Nelson throughout her final hours.

Brown accepted she had a duty of care to Nelson and should have gone to verify on the 37-year-old after the inmate became unresponsive throughout her last intercom call. She additionally accepted Nelson was deprived of “enough” medical care throughout her keep and not treated humanely.

The jail officer was additionally crucial of the medical care provided to inmates and the situation through which some arrived on the Yarra unit. She said night nurses often refused to stroll the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see sufferers during the evening.

Prison officers are not permitted to name triple zero and more senior workers would should be contacted to try this in any emergency, Brown mentioned.

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

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

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

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

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

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