Veronica Nelson handled inhumanely earlier than jail loss of life, prison officer concedes

CCTV reveals Brown, nurse Atheana George and two other prison officers present Nelson with paracetamol though a cell lure 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 further calls for help 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 lifeless for a while.

Taking to the witness stand for the first time on Friday after a failed Supreme Courtroom combat to suppress her identification, Brown revealed she now believed she should’ve performed more to assist Nelson during her last hours.

Brown accepted she had an obligation of care to Nelson and may have gone to examine on the 37-year-old after the inmate grew to become unresponsive throughout her remaining intercom name. She also accepted Nelson was deprived of “satisfactory” medical care during her stay and not treated humanely.

The prison officer was also crucial of the medical care provided to inmates and the condition through which some arrived on the Yarra unit. She mentioned night nurses typically refused to walk the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see patients during the evening.

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

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

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

Nathwani stated in the review, Dame Phyllis Frost common supervisor Tracey Jones said she was “proud” of the best way Nelson was treated in her remaining hours and that Brown “sensitively managed the intercom calls”.

Prison CCTV reveals Tracey Brown, far right, 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 because of give proof next week.

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