Veronica Nelson treated inhumanely earlier than jail loss of life, jail officer concedes

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

During Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make nine further requires help over the jail intercom, together with a ultimate two conversations Lacy described as “haunting” and “chilling”. Nothing was heard from Nelson after 4am. Her physique was discovered later that morning.

Attending paramedics believed she had been dead for a while.

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

Brown accepted she had a duty of care to Nelson and should have gone to check on the 37-year-old after the inmate grew to become unresponsive during her closing intercom name. She additionally accepted Nelson was disadvantaged of “enough” medical care during her stay and never handled humanely.

The jail officer was also crucial of the medical care offered to inmates and the condition by which some arrived at the Yarra unit. She mentioned night nurses often refused to walk the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see patients during the night time.

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

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

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

Nathwani mentioned within the assessment, Dame Phyllis Frost general manager Tracey Jones stated she was “proud” of the way Nelson was handled in her final hours and that Brown “sensitively managed the intercom calls”.

Jail CCTV shows Tracey Brown, far right, 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 due to give proof next week.

Pictures and audio contained in this story have been released to the media with permission from the household. For 24/7 crisis help run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, contact 13YARN (13 92 76).