Sep 06, 2023

Suspended officer faces court in person as requested by disgruntled judge

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Senior Constable White appeared at his last court hearing via audio-visual link (AVL) allegedly without the judge’s approval. [Source: ABC South East NSW/ Floss Adams]

The police officer charged with allegedly fatally tasering 95-year-old Clare Nowland has been forced to face court in person for the first time as per the demands of the Magistrate judge.

On Wednesday, Senior Constable Kristian White arrived at Cooma Local Court in NSW with his partner to face the charges including recklessly causing grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and common assault after being summoned.

At Senior Constable White’s last hearing in July, Magistrate Judge Roger Clisdell allegedly expressed “disgust” when prosecutors allowed Mr White to appear via audio-visual link (AVL) without his knowledge.

Senior Constable White stood in the courtroom and his lawyer, Warwick Anderson, appeared via AVL.

Police allege the 33-year-old tasered Ms Nowland at the aged care facility during a confrontation with the great-grandmother at Cooma’s Yallambee Lodge aged care facility in May who was living with dementia and was found holding a knife. After being tasered, Mrs Nowland fell and fractured her skull. She died from her injuries in hospital a week later.

The prosecution asked the court for an adjournment to allow time for the results of Ms Nowland’s post-mortem examination. Mr Clisdell adjourned the hearing until October 4 and granted a request from Mr Anderson for he and Mr White to appear via AVL.

No pleas have been entered to any of the charges.

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  1. Not only does this incident reflect on the actions of the police officer.

    How is it that the elderly lady mwas roaming out of bed and getting out of bed and wondering around to the kitchen area . Where was the registered clinically experienced geriatric nurse on duty??

    Who called the police and what was the brief given to police. This incident reflects badly on Providers that are running residential aged care facility. Most providers care only about the bottom line not the agedcare recipients that that treat as consumers or customers.

    It is a disgrace no one in that facility knew that this elderly was wondering about.

    1. It’s not an offense to be elderly and carry cutlery. Maybe she was hungry? Plenty of reports during the Royal Commission saying elderly people are undernourished in Aged Care facilities…
      My question is also “Was their an RN on duty?” Because if there was, then that clearly puts paid to the Govt’s latest intervention, to have 24/7 RNs on duty! A ridiculous knee-jerk concept and just makes good facilities with capable staff look bad if they don’t have an RN on every shift.
      If you recall initial reports, it was the staff who phoned the police. Why they could not have simply taken the knife from the resident, if they were so worried, remains a mystery. I’ve met plenty of 95yo residents in my time and not one would be strong enough to inflict any damage to anyone, even with a “weapon”.

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