Veronica Nelson treated inhumanely before jail demise, jail officer concedes

CCTV reveals Brown, nurse Atheana George and two different jail officers provide Nelson with paracetamol though a cell lure 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 nine further requires help over the prison intercom, together with a ultimate 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 Court fight to suppress her id, Brown revealed she now believed she should’ve finished extra to assist Nelson during her remaining hours.

Brown accepted she had an obligation of care to Nelson and should have gone to test on the 37-year-old after the inmate became unresponsive throughout her ultimate intercom call. She additionally accepted Nelson was deprived of “adequate” medical care throughout her stay and not handled humanely.

The prison officer was additionally vital of the medical care supplied to inmates and the condition by which some arrived at the Yarra unit. She said night nurses typically refused to walk the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see sufferers through the night.

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

An post-mortem later found Nelson had the undiagnosed medical situation Wilkie’s syndrome, a uncommon however probably life-threatening gastrointestinal condition.

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

Nathwani said in the evaluate, Dame Phyllis Frost basic supervisor Tracey Jones said 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 right, attending Nelson’s jail 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.

Photographs and audio contained in this story were launched to the media with permission from the household. For twenty-four/7 disaster assist run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander folks, contact 13YARN (13 92 76).