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

CCTV shows Brown, nurse Atheana George and two other jail officers provide Nelson with paracetamol although a cell entice door about 1.30am. It was the final time staff saw her alive.

Throughout Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make nine additional calls for assist over the prison intercom, including a remaining 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 first time on Friday after a failed Supreme Courtroom battle to suppress her identification, Brown revealed she now believed she ought to’ve done more to assist Nelson throughout her last hours.

Brown accepted she had an obligation of care to Nelson and may have gone to check on the 37-year-old after the inmate grew to become unresponsive throughout her ultimate intercom name. She also accepted Nelson was disadvantaged of “satisfactory” medical care throughout her keep and not treated humanely.

The prison officer was also critical of the medical care provided to inmates and the condition wherein some arrived on the Yarra unit. She said evening nurses usually refused to stroll the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see sufferers through the evening.

Jail officers are not permitted to call triple zero and more senior employees would should be contacted to try this in any emergency, Brown mentioned.

An autopsy later found Nelson had the undiagnosed medical condition Wilkie’s syndrome, a rare but potentially life-threatening gastrointestinal situation.

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

Nathwani stated within the evaluation, Dame Phyllis Frost normal supervisor Tracey Jones stated she was “proud” of the best way Nelson was treated in her remaining 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 demise.

On the stand, Brown disagreed. Jones is due to give proof subsequent week.

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