Veronica Nelson treated inhumanely before jail dying, prison officer concedes

CCTV reveals Brown, nurse Atheana George and two other jail officers provide Nelson with paracetamol although a cell lure door about 1.30am. It was the last time workers saw her alive.

Throughout Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make 9 further requires help over the jail intercom, including a last 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 struggle to suppress her id, Brown revealed she now believed she should’ve carried out extra to assist Nelson during her ultimate hours.

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

The prison officer was also essential of the medical care provided to inmates and the situation in which some arrived on the Yarra unit. She said night time nurses usually refused to stroll the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see patients during the evening.

Jail officers aren't permitted to call triple zero and more senior employees would have to be contacted to do that in any emergency, Brown mentioned.

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

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

Nathwani mentioned in the evaluation, Dame Phyllis Frost common supervisor Tracey Jones mentioned she was “proud” of the way in which Nelson was handled 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 demise.

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

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