Veronica Nelson treated inhumanely before jail dying, prison officer concedes

CCTV shows Brown, nurse Atheana George and two different prison officers present Nelson with paracetamol although a cell entice 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 further requires assist over the prison intercom, including a ultimate two conversations Lacy described as “haunting” and “chilling”. Nothing was heard from Nelson after 4am. Her physique was discovered 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 struggle to suppress her identity, Brown revealed she now believed she should’ve carried out more to help Nelson during 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 turned unresponsive during her closing intercom name. She additionally accepted Nelson was deprived of “ample” medical care during her stay and never treated humanely.

The prison officer was also vital of the medical care provided to inmates and the situation wherein some arrived at the Yarra unit. She mentioned night nurses typically refused to stroll the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see sufferers during the night.

Prison officers should not permitted to call triple zero and more senior workers would need to be contacted to do that in any emergency, Brown said.

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

Rishi Nathwani, representing Nelson’s mother, was crucial of Brown’s action and pressed the jail officer on an internal evaluation that praised her actions.

Nathwani said in the evaluate, Dame Phyllis Frost normal supervisor Tracey Jones said she was “proud” of the best way Nelson was treated in her ultimate hours and that Brown “sensitively managed the intercom calls”.

Prison CCTV reveals Tracey Brown, far proper, 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 evidence subsequent week.

Photos and audio contained on this story have been released to the media with permission from the family. For twenty-four/7 disaster support run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, contact 13YARN (13 92 76).