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

CCTV reveals Brown, nurse Atheana George and two different prison officers provide Nelson with paracetamol though a cell entice door about 1.30am. It was the last time employees saw her alive.

During Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make nine further calls for help 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 discovered later that morning.

Attending paramedics believed she had been dead for some time.

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 ought to’ve performed extra to assist Nelson throughout her closing hours.

Brown accepted she had a duty of care to Nelson and should have gone to verify on the 37-year-old after the inmate grew to become unresponsive throughout her ultimate intercom name. She additionally accepted Nelson was deprived of “ample” medical care throughout her stay and not treated humanely.

The jail officer was additionally crucial of the medical care provided to inmates and the situation wherein some arrived at the Yarra unit. She said night nurses usually refused to walk the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see sufferers through the night.

Jail officers are not permitted to name triple zero and extra senior workers would should be contacted to try this in any emergency, Brown said.

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

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

Nathwani stated within the evaluate, Dame Phyllis Frost general supervisor Tracey Jones said she was “proud” of the best way Nelson was handled in her remaining hours and that Brown “sensitively managed the intercom calls”.

Prison CCTV shows Tracey Brown, far right, attending Nelson’s jail 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.

Images and audio contained in this story had been launched 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).