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

CCTV exhibits Brown, nurse Atheana George and two other jail officers provide Nelson with paracetamol although a cell lure door about 1.30am. It was the last time staff noticed her alive.

During Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make 9 further requires help over the jail intercom, together with a remaining two conversations Lacy described as “haunting” and “chilling”. Nothing was heard from Nelson after 4am. Her physique 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 struggle to suppress her identity, Brown revealed she now believed she should’ve finished extra to help Nelson throughout her last hours.

Brown accepted she had a duty of care to Nelson and will have gone to check on the 37-year-old after the inmate became unresponsive during her closing intercom call. She additionally accepted Nelson was disadvantaged of “enough” medical care throughout her keep and not treated humanely.

The jail officer was additionally critical of the medical care provided to inmates and the condition through which some arrived at the Yarra unit. She said evening nurses usually refused to stroll the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see patients through the night.

Prison officers will not be permitted to call triple zero and extra senior staff would have to be contacted to try this in any emergency, Brown stated.

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

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

Nathwani said within the overview, Dame Phyllis Frost common manager Tracey Jones said she was “proud” of the way in which Nelson was treated in her last hours and that Brown “sensitively managed the intercom calls”.

Prison CCTV reveals 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 were launched to the media with permission from the household. For 24/7 crisis support run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, contact 13YARN (13 92 76).