Veronica Nelson handled inhumanely before jail dying, prison officer concedes

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

During Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make nine additional calls for assist over the prison 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 lifeless for a while.

Taking to the witness stand for the first time on Friday after a failed Supreme Court fight to suppress her identity, Brown revealed she now believed she should’ve carried out extra to help Nelson during her closing hours.

Brown accepted she had an obligation of care to Nelson and should have gone to examine on the 37-year-old after the inmate became unresponsive throughout her remaining intercom name. She additionally accepted Nelson was disadvantaged of “satisfactory” medical care throughout her stay and not treated humanely.

The jail officer was also important of the medical care supplied to inmates and the condition wherein some arrived at the Yarra unit. She said evening nurses typically refused to stroll the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see patients during the evening.

Prison officers are usually not permitted to name triple zero and extra senior employees would need to be contacted to do that in any emergency, Brown stated.

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

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

Nathwani mentioned in the assessment, Dame Phyllis Frost basic manager Tracey Jones mentioned she was “proud” of the way Nelson was treated in her ultimate 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 death.

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

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