Veronica Nelson treated inhumanely before jail death, jail officer concedes

CCTV reveals Brown, nurse Atheana George and two different jail officers present Nelson with paracetamol although 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 help over the jail intercom, together with a final 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 useless for a while.

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

Brown accepted she had a duty of care to Nelson and should have gone to examine on the 37-year-old after the inmate grew to become unresponsive throughout her ultimate intercom name. She also accepted Nelson was disadvantaged of “adequate” medical care throughout her stay and never treated humanely.

The jail officer was additionally vital of the medical care provided to inmates and the condition in which some arrived at the Yarra unit. She said evening nurses often refused to walk the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see patients during the night.

Prison officers usually are not permitted to call triple zero and more senior employees would have to be contacted to do this in any emergency, Brown said.

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

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

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

Prison CCTV reveals Tracey Brown, far proper, 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 proof subsequent week.

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