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

CCTV shows Brown, nurse Atheana George and two other prison officers provide Nelson with paracetamol though a cell lure 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 jail intercom, together with a last two conversations Lacy described as “haunting” and “chilling”. Nothing was heard from Nelson after 4am. Her physique 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 Court docket struggle to suppress her id, Brown revealed she now believed she should’ve performed extra to help Nelson throughout her last hours.

Brown accepted she had an obligation of care to Nelson and may have gone to test on the 37-year-old after the inmate grew to become unresponsive during her ultimate intercom name. She also accepted Nelson was deprived of “enough” medical care throughout her keep and never treated humanely.

The prison officer was also vital of the medical care supplied to inmates and the situation through 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 patients in the course of the evening.

Jail officers aren't permitted to name triple zero and extra senior employees would have to be contacted to try this in any emergency, Brown stated.

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

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

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

Prison CCTV shows Tracey Brown, far right, attending Nelson’s jail cell alongside nurse Atheana George about 1.30am the day of Nelson’s dying.

On the stand, Brown disagreed. Jones is due to give evidence next week.

Photos and audio contained in this story have been released to the media with permission from the family. For twenty-four/7 crisis support run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, contact 13YARN (13 92 76).