Veronica Nelson handled inhumanely before jail dying, prison officer concedes

CCTV shows Brown, nurse Atheana George and two different prison officers present Nelson with paracetamol though a cell lure 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 additional calls for assist over the jail 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 dead for a while.

Taking to the witness stand for the first time on Friday after a failed Supreme Court fight to suppress her identification, Brown revealed she now believed she ought to’ve executed extra to assist Nelson throughout her final hours.

Brown accepted she had an obligation of care to Nelson and may have gone to verify on the 37-year-old after the inmate grew to become unresponsive during her final intercom call. She additionally accepted Nelson was disadvantaged of “satisfactory” medical care throughout her keep and not treated humanely.

The jail officer was additionally critical of the medical care offered to inmates and the condition through which some arrived at the Yarra unit. She mentioned evening nurses often refused to walk the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see sufferers in the course of the night.

Prison officers should not permitted to call triple zero and extra senior workers would need to be contacted to try this in any emergency, Brown stated.

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

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

Nathwani said in the review, Dame Phyllis Frost normal supervisor Tracey Jones mentioned she was “proud” of the way in which Nelson was treated in her closing hours and that Brown “sensitively managed the intercom calls”.

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

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

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