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

CCTV exhibits Brown, nurse Atheana George and two different prison officers present Nelson with paracetamol although a cell trap 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 assist over the jail intercom, including a remaining 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 lifeless for a while.

Taking to the witness stand for the first time on Friday after a failed Supreme Court docket struggle to suppress her identity, Brown revealed she now believed she should’ve performed more to assist Nelson during her final 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 grew to become unresponsive throughout her final intercom name. She additionally accepted Nelson was disadvantaged of “adequate” medical care during her keep and never handled humanely.

The jail officer was additionally vital of the medical care provided to inmates and the condition wherein some arrived on the Yarra unit. She stated evening nurses typically refused to stroll the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see sufferers during the night time.

Jail officers should not permitted to call triple zero and more senior staff would need to be contacted to do this in any emergency, Brown mentioned.

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

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

Nathwani said in the overview, Dame Phyllis Frost normal supervisor 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”.

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.

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