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

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

Throughout Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make 9 further 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 body was discovered 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 battle to suppress her identification, Brown revealed she now believed she should’ve accomplished extra to help Nelson during her last hours.

Brown accepted she had a duty of care to Nelson and may have gone to test on the 37-year-old after the inmate turned unresponsive during her remaining intercom call. She additionally accepted Nelson was deprived of “sufficient” medical care during her keep and not handled humanely.

The jail officer was additionally critical of the medical care offered to inmates and the condition in which some arrived at the Yarra unit. She stated night nurses typically refused to stroll the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see sufferers in the course of the night time.

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

An post-mortem later found Nelson had the undiagnosed medical condition Wilkie’s syndrome, a uncommon however potentially life-threatening gastrointestinal situation.

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

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

Jail CCTV shows Tracey Brown, far proper, attending Nelson’s jail cell alongside nurse Atheana George about 1.30am the day of Nelson’s demise.

On the stand, Brown disagreed. Jones is due to give proof subsequent week.

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