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

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

During Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make 9 additional calls for help over the prison intercom, together with a last two conversations Lacy described as “haunting” and “chilling”. Nothing was heard from Nelson after 4am. Her physique was found later that morning.

Attending paramedics believed she had been dead for a while.

Taking to the witness stand for the first time on Friday after a failed Supreme Court docket combat to suppress her identification, Brown revealed she now believed she should’ve performed extra to assist Nelson during her final hours.

Brown accepted she had an obligation of care to Nelson and will have gone to verify on the 37-year-old after the inmate turned unresponsive throughout her closing intercom call. She also accepted Nelson was disadvantaged of “adequate” medical care throughout her keep and never treated humanely.

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

Prison officers usually are not permitted to call triple zero and more senior staff would must be contacted to do this in any emergency, Brown said.

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

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

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

Prison CCTV exhibits Tracey Brown, far right, attending Nelson’s prison 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 next week.

Photographs and audio contained in 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).