Veronica Nelson handled inhumanely earlier than jail dying, prison officer concedes

CCTV exhibits Brown, nurse Atheana George and two other prison officers provide Nelson with paracetamol though a cell entice door about 1.30am. It was the final time employees saw her alive.

Throughout Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make nine further requires assist over the prison intercom, including a final 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 useless for a while.

Taking to the witness stand for the first time on Friday after a failed Supreme Court docket struggle to suppress her id, Brown revealed she now believed she ought to’ve achieved extra to assist Nelson throughout her final hours.

Brown accepted she had an obligation of care to Nelson and may have gone to verify on the 37-year-old after the inmate became unresponsive during her final intercom name. She also accepted Nelson was deprived of “enough” medical care throughout her keep and never handled humanely.

The jail officer was also important of the medical care offered to inmates and the condition by which some arrived at the Yarra unit. She stated evening nurses typically refused to stroll the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see sufferers throughout the evening.

Prison officers should not permitted to call triple zero and more senior workers would need to be contacted to do this in any emergency, Brown mentioned.

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

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

Nathwani stated in the assessment, Dame Phyllis Frost common manager Tracey Jones stated she was “proud” of the best way Nelson was treated in her remaining hours and that Brown “sensitively managed the intercom calls”.

Prison CCTV shows Tracey Brown, far right, attending Nelson’s prison 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.

Photos and audio contained on this story were launched 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).