Veronica Nelson handled inhumanely before jail demise, prison officer concedes

CCTV reveals Brown, nurse Atheana George and two different jail officers present Nelson with paracetamol though a cell entice door about 1.30am. It was the final time staff noticed her alive.

Throughout Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make nine additional requires assist over the prison intercom, together with 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 useless 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 finished more to assist Nelson during her final hours.

Brown accepted she had a duty of care to Nelson and may have gone to verify on the 37-year-old after the inmate turned unresponsive throughout her last intercom name. She also accepted Nelson was deprived of “adequate” medical care throughout her stay and never treated humanely.

The prison officer was also crucial of the medical care provided to inmates and the condition during which 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 throughout the night.

Prison officers should not permitted to call triple zero and extra senior employees would need to be contacted to try this in any emergency, Brown said.

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

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

Nathwani said within the evaluate, Dame Phyllis Frost normal supervisor Tracey Jones mentioned she was “proud” of the way Nelson was handled in her closing hours and that Brown “sensitively managed the intercom calls”.

Prison CCTV exhibits Tracey Brown, far proper, 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 proof next week.

Photos and audio contained in this story had been released to the media with permission from the household. For 24/7 crisis help run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, contact 13YARN (13 92 76).