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

CCTV exhibits Brown, nurse Atheana George and two different jail officers provide Nelson with paracetamol although a cell entice door about 1.30am. It was the last time employees saw her alive.

During Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make nine additional calls for assist 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 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 battle to suppress her identification, Brown revealed she now believed she ought to’ve completed more to help Nelson throughout her ultimate hours.

Brown accepted she had an obligation of care to Nelson and should have gone to test on the 37-year-old after the inmate became unresponsive during her ultimate intercom call. She additionally accepted Nelson was disadvantaged of “satisfactory” medical care during her stay and not treated humanely.

The jail officer was additionally important of the medical care supplied to inmates and the condition by which some arrived at the Yarra unit. She stated evening nurses often refused to stroll the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see patients through the night time.

Jail officers are usually not permitted to name triple zero and extra senior employees would need 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 rare however potentially life-threatening gastrointestinal situation.

Rishi Nathwani, representing Nelson’s mother, was vital of Brown’s motion and pressed the jail officer on an inside review that praised her actions.

Nathwani said in the overview, Dame Phyllis Frost basic manager Tracey Jones said she was “proud” of the way in which Nelson was treated in her ultimate 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 dying.

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

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