Veronica Nelson handled inhumanely before jail demise, jail officer concedes

CCTV shows Brown, nurse Atheana George and two other prison officers provide Nelson with paracetamol though a cell entice door about 1.30am. It was the last time staff noticed her alive.

During Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make nine additional calls for assist over the prison intercom, together with a ultimate 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 lifeless for a while.

Taking to the witness stand for the first time on Friday after a failed Supreme Courtroom struggle to suppress her identification, Brown revealed she now believed she ought to’ve performed extra to assist Nelson during her remaining 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 throughout her last intercom call. She also accepted Nelson was deprived of “ample” medical care during her stay and never treated humanely.

The prison officer was also essential of the medical care offered to inmates and the situation through which some arrived on the Yarra unit. She said night nurses typically refused to stroll the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see patients during the evening.

Jail officers aren't permitted to call triple zero and more senior employees would should be contacted to do that in any emergency, Brown stated.

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

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

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

Jail CCTV shows Tracey Brown, far right, 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 next week.

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