Veronica Nelson handled inhumanely before jail loss of life, jail officer concedes

CCTV exhibits Brown, nurse Atheana George and two other prison officers provide Nelson with paracetamol though a cell trap 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 nine further requires assist over the prison intercom, including a last 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 a while.

Taking to the witness stand for the first time on Friday after a failed Supreme Courtroom struggle to suppress her identification, Brown revealed she now believed she ought to’ve completed more to help Nelson during her remaining hours.

Brown accepted she had an obligation of care to Nelson and should have gone to check on the 37-year-old after the inmate grew to become unresponsive during her remaining intercom call. She also accepted Nelson was disadvantaged of “adequate” medical care during her stay and never handled humanely.

The jail officer was also vital of the medical care offered to inmates and the situation in which some arrived at the Yarra unit. She stated night nurses usually refused to walk the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see patients during the evening.

Prison officers should not permitted to name triple zero and more senior employees would should be contacted to try this in any emergency, Brown stated.

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

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

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

Jail CCTV exhibits 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.

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