Veronica Nelson handled inhumanely before jail demise, jail officer concedes

CCTV shows Brown, nurse Atheana George and two different prison officers present Nelson with paracetamol though a cell entice door about 1.30am. It was the final time workers noticed her alive.

Throughout Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make nine additional calls for assist over the prison intercom, together with 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 a while.

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

Brown accepted she had a duty of care to Nelson and will have gone to test on the 37-year-old after the inmate became unresponsive throughout her remaining intercom call. She additionally accepted Nelson was disadvantaged of “sufficient” medical care throughout her stay and never treated humanely.

The prison officer was also essential of the medical care supplied to inmates and the situation wherein some arrived at the Yarra unit. She stated night nurses usually refused to walk the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see patients through the night time.

Jail officers should not permitted to call triple zero and extra senior workers would should be contacted to try this in any emergency, Brown stated.

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

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

Nathwani said in the assessment, Dame Phyllis Frost basic supervisor Tracey Jones said 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 exhibits 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.

Images and audio contained on this story have been launched to the media with permission from the family. For twenty-four/7 disaster support run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, contact 13YARN (13 92 76).