Veronica Nelson treated inhumanely earlier than jail demise, jail officer concedes

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

During Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make 9 additional requires help over the prison intercom, together with a closing two conversations Lacy described as “haunting” and “chilling”. Nothing was heard from Nelson after 4am. Her body was found later that morning.

Attending paramedics believed she had been useless for some time.

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

Brown accepted she had an obligation of care to Nelson and will have gone to verify on the 37-year-old after the inmate became unresponsive during her closing intercom name. She also accepted Nelson was deprived of “sufficient” medical care throughout her keep and not handled humanely.

The prison officer was also vital of the medical care offered to inmates and the situation wherein some arrived at the Yarra unit. She mentioned evening nurses often refused to walk the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see sufferers through the night.

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

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

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

Nathwani stated within the evaluation, 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”.

Jail CCTV shows Tracey Brown, far proper, attending Nelson’s jail cell alongside nurse Atheana George about 1.30am the day of Nelson’s dying.

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

Images and audio contained in this story have been released to the media with permission from the family. For twenty-four/7 crisis assist run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander folks, contact 13YARN (13 92 76).