Veronica Nelson treated inhumanely before jail death, jail officer concedes

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

Throughout Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make 9 additional requires assist over the jail intercom, including a final 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 a while.

Taking to the witness stand for the first time on Friday after a failed Supreme Court docket fight to suppress her identity, Brown revealed she now believed she ought to’ve performed extra to help Nelson during her ultimate 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 remaining intercom name. She additionally accepted Nelson was disadvantaged of “adequate” medical care throughout her stay and not handled humanely.

The jail officer was also crucial of the medical care provided to inmates and the condition in which some arrived on the Yarra unit. She mentioned evening nurses typically refused to walk the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see sufferers throughout the night.

Prison officers are not permitted to name triple zero and more 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 situation Wilkie’s syndrome, a rare but potentially life-threatening gastrointestinal situation.

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

Nathwani stated within the evaluate, Dame Phyllis Frost general supervisor Tracey Jones said she was “proud” of the way in which Nelson was treated in her remaining hours and that Brown “sensitively managed the intercom calls”.

Prison CCTV shows 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 because of give evidence subsequent week.

Pictures and audio contained in this story were released to the media with permission from the household. For 24/7 disaster assist run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, contact 13YARN (13 92 76).