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

CCTV shows Brown, nurse Atheana George and two other jail officers provide Nelson with paracetamol although a cell entice door about 1.30am. It was the final time workers noticed her alive.

During Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make 9 further calls for help over the prison intercom, including a last 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 primary time on Friday after a failed Supreme Courtroom combat to suppress her id, Brown revealed she now believed she should’ve accomplished extra to assist Nelson during her final hours.

Brown accepted she had an obligation of care to Nelson and will have gone to examine on the 37-year-old after the inmate grew to become unresponsive during her closing intercom call. She also accepted Nelson was disadvantaged of “ample” medical care during her stay and not treated humanely.

The jail officer was also crucial of the medical care provided to inmates and the condition by which some arrived on the Yarra unit. She mentioned night time nurses usually refused to stroll the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see sufferers during the evening.

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

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

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

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

Prison CCTV exhibits Tracey Brown, far right, attending Nelson’s jail cell alongside nurse Atheana George about 1.30am the day of Nelson’s loss of life.

On the stand, Brown disagreed. Jones is due to give proof subsequent week.

Pictures and audio contained in this story were launched to the media with permission from the family. For twenty-four/7 disaster help run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander folks, contact 13YARN (13 92 76).