Veronica Nelson treated inhumanely before jail death, prison officer concedes

CCTV shows Brown, nurse Atheana George and two other jail officers present Nelson with paracetamol though a cell lure door about 1.30am. It was the last time employees saw her alive.

Throughout Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make 9 additional calls for help over the prison intercom, including a final 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 some time.

Taking to the witness stand for the primary time on Friday after a failed Supreme Court fight to suppress her id, Brown revealed she now believed she ought to’ve carried out more to help Nelson throughout her ultimate hours.

Brown accepted she had an obligation of care to Nelson and will have gone to examine on the 37-year-old after the inmate became unresponsive during her final intercom call. She also accepted Nelson was deprived of “sufficient” medical care throughout her stay and never handled humanely.

The jail officer was also important of the medical care offered to inmates and the situation through which some arrived at the Yarra unit. She stated evening nurses often refused to walk the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see sufferers through the night.

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

An post-mortem later found Nelson had the undiagnosed medical situation Wilkie’s syndrome, a uncommon however doubtlessly life-threatening gastrointestinal condition.

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

Nathwani mentioned in the overview, Dame Phyllis Frost common supervisor Tracey Jones mentioned she was “proud” of the way Nelson was handled in her ultimate hours and that Brown “sensitively managed the intercom calls”.

Jail CCTV reveals 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 proof next week.

Pictures and audio contained on this story have been launched to the media with permission from the family. For twenty-four/7 crisis assist run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, contact 13YARN (13 92 76).