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

CCTV reveals Brown, nurse Atheana George and two different prison officers present Nelson with paracetamol although a cell entice door about 1.30am. It was the final time staff saw her alive.

Throughout Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make 9 additional calls for assist over the prison intercom, including a final 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 useless for some time.

Taking to the witness stand for the first time on Friday after a failed Supreme Court docket battle to suppress her id, Brown revealed she now believed she should’ve carried out extra to assist Nelson during her last 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 became unresponsive throughout her remaining intercom call. She additionally accepted Nelson was disadvantaged of “sufficient” medical care during her stay and not treated humanely.

The jail officer was also vital of the medical care supplied to inmates and the situation through which some arrived at the Yarra unit. She said evening nurses often refused to stroll the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see patients throughout the night.

Jail officers are usually not permitted to call triple zero and more senior employees would need to be contacted to do this in any emergency, Brown stated.

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

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

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

Prison CCTV shows Tracey Brown, far right, 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 subsequent week.

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