Police officer who Tasered great-gran found guilty of manslaughter

Posted by
Check your BMI

A police officer who fatally Tasered a 95-year-old with dementia symptoms could face a lengthy stint in jail after a jury found him guilty of her unlawful killing.

Senior Constable Kristian James Samuel White discharged his stun gun at Clare Nowland in a treatment room at Yallambee Lodge aged-care home in the southern NSW town of Cooma during the early hours of May 17, 2023.

In video footage played at his NSW Supreme Court trial, the 34-year-old officer was heard saying "nah, bugger it" before shooting the great-grandmother in the torso.

READ MORE: Elderly woman 'unable to comply' before cop Tasered her, court hears

Senior Constable Kristian White (centre) leaves the NSW Supreme Court in Sydney with his fiancé (2nd from right) after he was found guilty by a jury of the manslaughter of 95 year old Clare Nowland who he tasered in a Cooma nursing home. Sydney, NSW. November 27, 2024. Photo: Kate Geraghty

toonsbymoonlight
Clare Nowland, 95, passed away after she was tasered by a police officer.

Nowland, who was holding a steak knife at the time, fell backwards and hit her head before dying a week later in hospital.

After hearing evidence and submissions over the eight-day trial, the 12-person jury returned with a guilty verdict of manslaughter today.

They had been deliberating for 20 hours.

READ MORE: Cop who Tasered elderly woman should have 'evaluated' the circumstances, court told

The NSW Supreme Court has released never-before-seen CCTV from the night NSW grand-grandmother Clare Nowland was Tasered.

Crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield SC successfully argued White was criminally negligent or conducted an unlawful and dangerous act by firing the Taser in a move which was "utterly unnecessary".

In reaching its verdict, the jury rejected arguments by defence counsel Troy Edwards SC that the 34-year-old officer's use of the Taser was a proportionate response to the threat Nowland posed.

Today, Hatfield applied to have White taken into custody.

Edwards opposed the move, saying a full-time jail sentence for his client was not inevitable.

Manslaughter carries a maximum 25-year jail term.

Justice Ian Harrison will hear the detention application tomorrow.

"So that there's no secret about it, I will not commit a policeman to custody until I understand the conditions under which he will be held, if he is to be held," the judge said.

READ MORE: How Hannah Kobayashi's mysterious disappearance has played out

White did not say anything to reporters as he walked out of the courthouse holding hands with his fiancee.

In a statement issued through their lawyer, Nowland's family thanked the jury, Justice Harrison and the prosecution team.

"The family will take some time to come to terms with the jury's confirmation that Clare's death at the hands of a serving NSW police officer was a criminal and unjustified act," they said.

In March, a civil lawsuit filed by Nowland's family against the State of NSW was settled on confidential terms.

NSW Police has been contacted for comment.

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments