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

CCTV reveals Brown, nurse Atheana George and two other jail officers present 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 9 additional requires assist over the jail 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 dead for some time.

Taking to the witness stand for the first time on Friday after a failed Supreme Courtroom struggle to suppress her identification, Brown revealed she now believed she ought to’ve executed more to assist Nelson throughout her remaining hours.

Brown accepted she had a duty of care to Nelson and will have gone to examine on the 37-year-old after the inmate grew to become unresponsive throughout her last intercom call. She additionally accepted Nelson was deprived of “satisfactory” medical care during her stay and never treated humanely.

The prison officer was additionally critical of the medical care provided to inmates and the situation by which some arrived on the Yarra unit. She mentioned night nurses usually refused to stroll the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see patients through the night time.

Jail officers should not permitted to call triple zero and more senior staff would need to be contacted to do this in any emergency, Brown said.

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

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

Nathwani mentioned within the evaluate, Dame Phyllis Frost basic supervisor Tracey Jones mentioned she was “proud” of the best way Nelson was treated in her last hours and that Brown “sensitively managed the intercom calls”.

Jail CCTV shows Tracey Brown, far right, attending Nelson’s jail cell alongside nurse Atheana George about 1.30am the day of Nelson’s death.

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

Pictures and audio contained in this story have been released to the media with permission from the family. For 24/7 crisis support run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, contact 13YARN (13 92 76).