Veronica Nelson handled inhumanely earlier than jail demise, jail officer concedes

CCTV exhibits Brown, nurse Atheana George and two other prison officers provide Nelson with paracetamol though a cell lure door about 1.30am. It was the final time employees saw her alive.

During Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make 9 further calls for help 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 discovered later that morning.

Attending paramedics believed she had been lifeless for some time.

Taking to the witness stand for the primary time on Friday after a failed Supreme Courtroom battle to suppress her identity, Brown revealed she now believed she ought to’ve accomplished extra to help Nelson throughout 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 grew to become unresponsive during her ultimate intercom call. She additionally accepted Nelson was disadvantaged of “enough” medical care during her stay and never handled humanely.

The jail officer was additionally vital of the medical care provided to inmates and the situation by which some arrived on the Yarra unit. She stated evening nurses often refused to walk the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see patients in the course of the night.

Jail officers will not be permitted to call triple zero and more senior staff would have to be contacted to do this in any emergency, Brown mentioned.

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

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

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

Jail CCTV shows Tracey Brown, far right, attending Nelson’s prison cell alongside nurse Atheana George about 1.30am the day of Nelson’s death.

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

Images and audio contained on this story had been released to the media with permission from the household. For 24/7 disaster support run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, contact 13YARN (13 92 76).