A police officer in Australia has been convicted of manslaughter for Tasering a 95-year-old woman with dementia-like symptoms at a care home.
Senior Constable Kristian White used his Taser on Clare Nowland, who was found wandering with a small kitchen knife in the early hours of 17 May 2023. Nowland, a great-grandmother, died a week later, sparking public outrage. Despite White’s defence that his actions were reasonable given the perceived threat, prosecutors argued that Nowland, weighing less than 48kg (105lb) and using a walker, posed no real danger and that the officer had neglected his duty of care.
Emergency services were called to Yallambee Lodge in Cooma, about 114km (71 miles) south of Canberra, at around 04:00 after Nowland was seen roaming with two serrated steak knives. Although she had shown signs of cognitive decline and occasional aggression, she was not formally diagnosed with dementia.
During the trial at the New South Wales (NSW) Supreme Court, it was revealed that Nowland had entered another resident’s room with the knives and thrown one at a staff member. When police and paramedics found her, they repeatedly asked her to drop the knife and attempted to disarm her using thick gloves.
Footage shown to the jury captured Nowland slowly moving forward with her walker before stopping and raising the knife. White warned her that he had his Taser aimed at her before firing it, causing her to fall and suffer a fatal brain injury.
Crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield argued that White acted out of impatience rather than necessity, deploying the Taser just three minutes after arriving on the scene. White, however, claimed he feared an imminent violent confrontation and did not anticipate causing significant harm.
The defence highlighted testimony from a paramedic and White’s partner, both of whom felt threatened by Nowland, though they acknowledged they could have moved to safety due to her limited mobility.
Nowland’s family, present for the verdict, expressed gratitude towards the prosecutors, judge, and jury, and requested privacy to process the outcome. NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb announced that White’s employment status was under review and confirmed that Taser policies and training had been deemed appropriate. She acknowledged the tragedy of Nowland’s death, stating, “This should never have happened.”
White, currently on bail, awaits sentencing.
Frances Ibiefo
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