Veronica Nelson treated inhumanely earlier than jail loss of life, prison officer concedes

CCTV shows Brown, nurse Atheana George and two other prison officers provide Nelson with paracetamol though a cell trap 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 9 additional calls for help over the jail intercom, including a closing 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 useless for a while.

Taking to the witness stand for the first time on Friday after a failed Supreme Courtroom battle to suppress her identity, Brown revealed she now believed she should’ve done extra to help Nelson during her closing hours.

Brown accepted she had a duty of care to Nelson and will have gone to examine on the 37-year-old after the inmate grew to become unresponsive throughout her last intercom name. She also accepted Nelson was deprived of “adequate” medical care during her stay and never treated humanely.

The jail officer was also critical of the medical care provided to inmates and the situation during which some arrived on the Yarra unit. She stated night time nurses usually refused to stroll the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see sufferers through the night time.

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

An post-mortem later discovered Nelson had the undiagnosed medical condition Wilkie’s syndrome, a uncommon but doubtlessly life-threatening gastrointestinal situation.

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

Nathwani said in the evaluation, Dame Phyllis Frost general supervisor Tracey Jones said she was “proud” of the way Nelson was handled in her ultimate 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 demise.

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

Pictures and audio contained in this story had been 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).