Veronica Nelson treated inhumanely before jail demise, prison officer concedes

CCTV shows 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 workers saw her alive.

Throughout Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make 9 further requires assist 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 primary time on Friday after a failed Supreme Courtroom combat to suppress her identification, Brown revealed she now believed she ought to’ve executed more to assist Nelson during her last hours.

Brown accepted she had a duty of care to Nelson and should have gone to examine on the 37-year-old after the inmate became unresponsive during her last intercom call. She also accepted Nelson was disadvantaged of “enough” medical care during her stay and not treated humanely.

The jail officer was additionally critical of the medical care offered to inmates and the condition wherein some arrived on the Yarra unit. She mentioned night nurses often refused to walk the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see patients through the night.

Prison officers are not permitted to name triple zero and more senior employees would should be contacted to try this in any emergency, Brown stated.

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 essential of Brown’s motion and pressed the jail officer on an internal evaluation that praised her actions.

Nathwani stated within the overview, Dame Phyllis Frost common supervisor Tracey Jones mentioned she was “proud” of the way in which Nelson was handled in her final 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 dying.

On the stand, Brown disagreed. Jones is because of give evidence subsequent week.

Pictures and audio contained on this story had been launched to the media with permission from the family. For 24/7 crisis help run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander folks, contact 13YARN (13 92 76).