Veronica Nelson handled inhumanely before jail demise, prison officer concedes

CCTV exhibits Brown, nurse Atheana George and two other prison officers provide Nelson with paracetamol though a cell lure door about 1.30am. It was the final time employees noticed her alive.

Throughout Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make nine additional requires help over the prison intercom, including a remaining 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 struggle to suppress her identification, Brown revealed she now believed she ought to’ve achieved more to help Nelson during her final hours.

Brown accepted she had an obligation of care to Nelson and may have gone to test 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 additionally vital of the medical care provided to inmates and the situation during which some arrived at the Yarra unit. She said night nurses often refused to stroll the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see patients in the course of the night.

Prison officers are not permitted to name triple zero and extra senior staff would have to be contacted to do this in any emergency, Brown stated.

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

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

Nathwani mentioned within the evaluate, Dame Phyllis Frost general manager Tracey Jones said she was “proud” of the way Nelson was treated 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 loss of life.

On the stand, Brown disagreed. Jones is because of give evidence subsequent week.

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