Veronica Nelson treated inhumanely earlier than jail death, prison officer concedes

CCTV reveals Brown, nurse Atheana George and two different jail officers provide Nelson with paracetamol though a cell trap door about 1.30am. It was the final time employees noticed her alive.

During Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make 9 additional calls for help over the prison intercom, including a remaining 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 some time.

Taking to the witness stand for the primary time on Friday after a failed Supreme Court combat to suppress her identity, Brown revealed she now believed she should’ve performed more to help Nelson throughout her ultimate hours.

Brown accepted she had a duty of care to Nelson and will have gone to check on the 37-year-old after the inmate grew to become unresponsive during her ultimate intercom name. She also accepted Nelson was disadvantaged of “satisfactory” medical care during her stay and not treated humanely.

The jail officer was also essential of the medical care offered to inmates and the condition during which some arrived at the Yarra unit. She said night nurses usually refused to walk the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see patients through the night.

Prison officers aren't permitted to call triple zero and extra senior workers would have to be contacted to do that in any emergency, Brown mentioned.

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

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

Nathwani stated within the assessment, Dame Phyllis Frost general manager Tracey Jones mentioned she was “proud” of the way Nelson was treated in her remaining 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 death.

On the stand, Brown disagreed. Jones is due to give proof subsequent week.

Photographs and audio contained on this story had been launched to the media with permission from the family. For 24/7 crisis support run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander folks, contact 13YARN (13 92 76).