Veronica Nelson handled inhumanely before jail death, jail officer concedes

CCTV reveals Brown, nurse Atheana George and two different jail officers provide Nelson with paracetamol although a cell trap door about 1.30am. It was the last time employees noticed her alive.

During Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make nine additional calls for help over the prison intercom, including a ultimate 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 battle to suppress her id, Brown revealed she now believed she should’ve carried out extra to help Nelson during her last hours.

Brown accepted she had a duty of care to Nelson and should have gone to examine on the 37-year-old after the inmate became unresponsive during her ultimate intercom name. She additionally accepted Nelson was disadvantaged of “enough” medical care throughout her stay and never handled humanely.

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

Jail officers are not permitted to name triple zero and extra senior employees would should be contacted to try this in any emergency, Brown said.

An post-mortem later discovered Nelson had the undiagnosed medical situation Wilkie’s syndrome, a rare but probably life-threatening gastrointestinal situation.

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

Nathwani stated in the assessment, Dame Phyllis Frost basic manager Tracey Jones mentioned she was “proud” of the way in which Nelson was handled in her ultimate hours and that Brown “sensitively managed the intercom calls”.

Prison CCTV shows Tracey Brown, far proper, attending Nelson’s prison cell alongside nurse Atheana George about 1.30am the day of Nelson’s demise.

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

Photographs and audio contained on this story were launched to the media with permission from the family. For 24/7 crisis support run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander folks, contact 13YARN (13 92 76).