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

CCTV exhibits Brown, nurse Atheana George and two other prison officers provide 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 further calls for assist over the prison intercom, together with a final 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 Court combat to suppress her identity, Brown revealed she now believed she ought to’ve completed extra to assist Nelson during her ultimate hours.

Brown accepted she had an obligation of care to Nelson and should have gone to examine on the 37-year-old after the inmate grew to become unresponsive throughout her remaining intercom call. She also accepted Nelson was disadvantaged of “adequate” medical care throughout her stay and not handled humanely.

The jail officer was also crucial of the medical care offered to inmates and the situation in which some arrived at the Yarra unit. She mentioned night time nurses usually refused to stroll the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see patients during the evening.

Jail officers usually are not permitted to call triple zero and more senior workers would have to 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 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 stated within the assessment, Dame Phyllis Frost basic manager Tracey Jones stated she was “proud” of the way Nelson was handled in her ultimate hours and that Brown “sensitively managed the intercom calls”.

Jail CCTV shows Tracey Brown, far proper, attending Nelson’s jail cell alongside nurse Atheana George about 1.30am the day of Nelson’s death.

On the stand, Brown disagreed. Jones is because of give proof next week.

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