Veronica Nelson handled inhumanely before jail death, prison officer concedes

CCTV shows Brown, nurse Atheana George and two other jail officers present Nelson with paracetamol though a cell trap door about 1.30am. It was the final time staff noticed her alive.

Throughout 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 physique was discovered later that morning.

Attending paramedics believed she had been dead for a while.

Taking to the witness stand for the primary time on Friday after a failed Supreme Court docket combat to suppress her identity, Brown revealed she now believed she ought to’ve executed extra to assist Nelson during her last 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 grew to become unresponsive during her final intercom call. She additionally accepted Nelson was disadvantaged of “enough” medical care during her keep and not treated humanely.

The prison officer was additionally important of the medical care offered to inmates and the condition by which some arrived on the Yarra unit. She stated evening nurses usually refused to walk the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see patients through the evening.

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

An post-mortem later discovered Nelson had the undiagnosed medical condition Wilkie’s syndrome, a uncommon however 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 overview that praised her actions.

Nathwani mentioned within the assessment, Dame Phyllis Frost general manager Tracey Jones mentioned she was “proud” of the way in which Nelson was treated in her remaining hours and that Brown “sensitively managed the intercom calls”.

Prison CCTV reveals Tracey Brown, far proper, attending Nelson’s prison cell alongside nurse Atheana George about 1.30am the day of Nelson’s death.

On the stand, Brown disagreed. Jones is due to give evidence next week.

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