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NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb . Picture : Adam Yip / NewsCorp Australia .
‘ Apalling ’
Officer charged after 95-year-old Clare Nowland dies in hospital .
By Elise Hartevelt
The NSW police officer who allegedly tasered 95-year-old Clare Nowland has been charged after the beloved great-grandmother died in Cooma Base Hospital .
In May , two Monaro Police District officers were called to Yallambee Lodge in the Snowy Mountains at 4 am after staff reportedly found Ms Nowland with a knife .
According to the police , Ms Nowland approached the pair ‘ slowly ’ using a walking frame , after which senior constable White allegedly deployed a taser .
Ms Nowland died after receiving endof-life care in hospital with a fractured skull and a severe brain bleed resulting from the fall .
Senior police officer Kristian White was charged with common assault , recklessly causing grievous bodily harm and assault occasioning actual bodily harm .
Senior constable White was suspended from duty with pay .
74-year-old Dementia Australia advocate , Bobby Redman , said the incident was ‘ appalling and horrifying .’
Like Ms Nowland , Ms Redman also lives with dementia .
“ There ’ s fear that similar violence could happen to any of us ,” she said .
“ When I ’ m distressed or anxious , I don ’ t often understand what people say to me .”
People living with dementia undergo perceptual changes that can impact the way they perceive reality and understand the world around them .
As the condition progresses , more tissue in the brain is affected , leading to misconceptions , hallucinations , timeshifting and delusions .
Ms Redman said it was highly likely that Ms Nowland did not understand what was happening .
“ The incident proved there ’ s a desperate need for better training of care staff , nurses , doctors , paramedics , and the police ,” she said .
“ With better training , this could and should have been avoided .
“ But even without training – common sense and decency – a room full of people should ’ ve been able to tell him to deal with this differently .”
Greens Parliament Member Sue Higginson said the charging of senior constable White was ‘ a step in the right direction .’
Last weekend , Ms Higginson asked the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission ( LECC ) Chief Commissioner , Peter Johnson , in a letter to conduct the investigation separately from the police .
The investigation is currently led by NSW Police Homicide Squad and the Professional Standards Committee , supervised by the LECC .
“ It ’ s time to question the force ’ s integrity and accountability ,” Ms Higginson told Aged Care Insite .
“ Especially concerning older and vulnerable members of the community .
“ Because the video evidence clearly shows that the action taken was inappropriate and wrong .”
Ms Higginson said the incident proved that the current system of ‘ police investigating police ’ was lacking effectiveness and accountability .
She said Commissioner Karen Webb had ‘ not responded to the seriousness of the matter as the community would expect .’
In a recent media statement , Commissioner Webb announced that legal proceedings had been made against senior constable White .
Commissioner Webb expressed her condolences to the Nowland family and said they ’ d been informed about the most recent developments .
She said that while the incident had been ‘ traumatic for everyone in the police force ’, the community could continue to depend on their service .
“ The community of NSW have trust in their police , and this is one incident out of many calls for service we respond to ,” Commissioner Webb said .
But Ms Higginson said faith had been lost after the incident and called for an independent review of the NSW police .
She recommended the instalment of an autonomous body to evaluate police misconduct , including using defensive weapons .
“ This should be a turning point in policing practices in NSW ,” Ms Higginson said .
“ We need to change our approach and ensure that these situations won ’ t happen again .”
Members of Yallambee Lodge in Cooma , Snowy Mountains , have been actively cooperating with the ongoing investigations .
The Monaro Local Council has provided trauma counsellors to support residents and the aged care facility staff .
Mr White appeared at Cooma Local Court on July 5 . ■ agedcareinsite . com . au 3