Veronica Nelson treated inhumanely earlier than jail demise, jail 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 last time workers saw her alive.

During Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make nine further calls for assist over the jail intercom, together with a ultimate 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 useless for some time.

Taking to the witness stand for the primary time on Friday after a failed Supreme Court docket struggle to suppress her identification, Brown revealed she now believed she ought to’ve performed extra to help Nelson throughout her remaining 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 deprived of “sufficient” medical care throughout her keep and not handled humanely.

The jail officer was also important of the medical care offered to inmates and the situation by which some arrived on the Yarra unit. She mentioned evening nurses often refused to stroll the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see sufferers throughout the evening.

Prison officers should not permitted to call triple zero and more senior employees would must be contacted to do that in any emergency, Brown mentioned.

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

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

Nathwani stated in the evaluation, Dame Phyllis Frost general manager Tracey Jones said she was “proud” of the way Nelson was handled in her closing hours and that Brown “sensitively managed the intercom calls”.

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

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

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