Veronica Nelson treated inhumanely before jail demise, prison officer concedes

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

Throughout Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make nine further requires assist over the jail intercom, including a last 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 lifeless for a while.

Taking to the witness stand for the first time on Friday after a failed Supreme Court docket combat to suppress her identity, Brown revealed she now believed she should’ve performed more to assist Nelson throughout her last hours.

Brown accepted she had an obligation of care to Nelson and should have gone to check on the 37-year-old after the inmate became unresponsive during her final intercom call. She additionally accepted Nelson was deprived of “sufficient” medical care throughout her stay and never handled humanely.

The jail officer was also essential of the medical care offered to inmates and the situation in which some arrived on the Yarra unit. She stated night nurses typically refused to walk the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see patients during the night time.

Jail officers are usually not permitted to name triple zero and more senior employees would must be contacted to do this in any emergency, Brown stated.

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

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

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

Prison CCTV reveals Tracey Brown, far right, attending Nelson’s prison 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.

Photos 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).