Veronica Nelson treated inhumanely before jail demise, jail officer concedes

CCTV shows Brown, nurse Atheana George and two other jail officers present Nelson with paracetamol though a cell lure door about 1.30am. It was the final time workers saw her alive.

Throughout Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make nine additional requires assist over the jail intercom, including a final 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 dead for some time.

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

Brown accepted she had an obligation of care to Nelson and will have gone to check on the 37-year-old after the inmate turned unresponsive throughout her ultimate intercom call. She also accepted Nelson was deprived of “sufficient” medical care during her stay and never handled humanely.

The jail officer was additionally crucial of the medical care offered to inmates and the condition in which some arrived on the Yarra unit. She stated night time nurses typically refused to stroll the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see sufferers during the night time.

Prison officers usually are not permitted to name triple zero and more senior employees would have to be contacted to do that in any emergency, Brown stated.

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

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

Nathwani stated within the evaluation, Dame Phyllis Frost common supervisor Tracey Jones stated she was “proud” of the best way Nelson was treated in her last hours and that Brown “sensitively managed the intercom calls”.

Jail CCTV reveals 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 proof subsequent week.

Photos and audio contained on this story were 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).