It will be alleged that Mr White fatally tasered Mrs Nowland in May 2023 after he and a fellow officer were called to Yallambee Lodge, a residential care home in Cooma. Photo: Supplied.
NSW police officer Kristian White has been formally charged with the manslaughter of 95-year-old Cooma woman Clare Nowland and will face court on 11 November.
Mr White, who is currently on bail, was ordered to stand trial on one count of manslaughter. He appeared in the Supreme Court via video link and entered a plea of not guilty.
It will be alleged that Mr White fatally tasered Mrs Nowland in May 2023 after he and a fellow officer were called to Yallambee Lodge, a residential care home in Cooma.
Mrs Nowland, who suffered from dementia and used a walker, was holding a steak knife when she was tasered by Mr White and had resisted efforts by staff and police to disarm her.
After Mr White discharged his taser, she fell, fracturing her skull. Mrs Nowland subsequently died in Cooma Hospital after being diagnosed with an inoperable brain bleed.
A police statement of facts on the incident previously released by the NSW Supreme Court said the police preliminary report found the circumstances of the incident did not meet the threshold for the officer to discharge a Taser.
Mr White had initially been charged with recklessly causing grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and common assault after the incident, but following advice from the NSW director of public prosecutions, those charges were upgraded to manslaughter in November 2023.
According to court documents, prosecutors will argue Mr White’s use of force was”grossly disproportionate” and “excessive” given Mrs Nowland’s age and ability.
Original Article published by Genevieve Jacobs on Riotact.
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