A New South Wales courtroom fell silent as the chilling police body camera footage played, depicting the final moments of 95-year-old Clare Nowland’s encounter with Senior Constable Kristian White. The great-grandmother, a dementia patient at a Cooma nursing home, slowly approached officers with a serrated knife in hand. What followed was a series of events that would ultimately claim her life and land White on trial for manslaughter.
The video, presented as evidence in White’s Supreme Court trial, shows Nowland initially seated in a nursing home office, clad in checkered pajamas. Despite repeated pleas from police, paramedics, and staff to relinquish the knife, the elderly woman refused to comply. “I would love to have that knife, are you able to put that on a table for me?” a paramedic gently implores. Another voice chimes in, “Can you put the knife just on your walker there, I don’t want you to stand up darling.”
Undeterred, Nowland rises from her chair, grasping her walker for support as she inches towards the door. White, clearly agitated, raises his taser and issues a stern warning: “We’re not playing this game Clare, you got to put that down.” He follows up with an ultimatum: “This is your first warning. Don’t get me to give you another warning.” A single taser shot rings out, meant as a final caution.
“Got Her… Grab It”: The Fateful Moment
What happens next will forever be etched in the minds of those present. As Nowland lifts the knife once more, White makes a split-second decision. “Na, bugger it,” he mutters before discharging his taser. The 95-year-old crumples to the ground as White exclaims, “Got her… grab it!” The room erupts into chaos as White and his colleague, Sergeant Rachel Pank, rush to Nowland’s aid.
The body cam audio captures Pank’s disbelief: “I didn’t expect it to be like that.” She confesses her own hesitation, saying, “I was thinking, I could just grab it, but it was a bit too sharp… I thought surely I can hit it out her hand.” But it was too late. Nowland would succumb to her head injury a week later, her death a direct result of being tasered, according to the prosecution.
A Questionable Use of Force
At the heart of this case lies the question of whether White’s actions constituted a reasonable use of force. Troy Edwards SC, White’s barrister, argues that while the taser injuries caused Nowland’s death, his client’s use of the weapon was justified. Prosecutor Brett Hatfield SC sees it differently, alleging White is guilty of manslaughter either by way of criminal negligence or an unlawful and dangerous act.
Forensic pathologist Dr. Sairita Maistry, who performed Nowland’s autopsy, painted a grim picture in her testimony. Multiple brain injuries were detailed, including bruising, bleeding, and a laceration penetrating the brain itself. “Multiple types of blunt force trauma were present,” Maistry stated matter-of-factly.
A Family’s Grief, a Community’s Outrage
As the trial unfolds, Nowland’s extensive family – eight children, 24 grandchildren, and 31 great-grandchildren – fill the courtroom, united in their grief and quest for answers. The tragedy has reverberated throughout the tight-knit Cooma community and beyond, igniting discussions about police training, use of force, and the treatment of elderly dementia patients.
“She was a tiny, frail woman in her 90s, in a nursing home. How could this happen?” questioned one local resident who wished to remain anonymous. “Even if she had a knife, surely there were better ways to handle it than shooting her with a taser.”
A Glimpse into Police Training and Tactics
The case has also shone a spotlight on the training and tactics employed by police when confronting individuals armed with weapons, particularly those who may be mentally impaired or elderly. Many are questioning whether the use of tasers, which deliver a high-voltage electrical charge to temporarily incapacitate a person, is appropriate in such situations.
“Tasers are less lethal than firearms, but they’re not non-lethal,” explained a use-of-force expert who has consulted on numerous cases. “Especially with vulnerable populations like the elderly, the risk of serious injury or death is very real. Officers need to weigh that risk against the threat level in each situation.”
As the trial enters its third week, the community eagerly awaits the outcome, hoping for accountability, answers, and a commitment to preventing such tragedies in the future. The Nowland family, through their tears and grief, remain steadfast in their pursuit of justice for Clare.
The Larger Issues at Stake
Beyond the courtroom, advocates are using Nowland’s case as a rallying cry for systemic change in aged care, mental health support, and policing practices. They argue that better training, de-escalation techniques, and an overhaul of protocols for interacting with vulnerable populations are desperately needed.
“This isn’t just about one officer or one tragic incident,” asserted a spokesperson for a national aged care advocacy group. “It’s about the way we, as a society, value and protect our elderly. It’s about ensuring those with dementia and mental health issues are treated with dignity, respect, and appropriate care – by nursing homes, by police, by everyone.”
As Senior Constable Kristian White’s fate hangs in the balance, so too does the imperative for change. Clare Nowland’s death, regardless of the trial’s outcome, will forever stand as a haunting reminder of the work that remains to be done – in ensuring justice, reforming institutions, and honoring the dignity of society’s most vulnerable members. The road ahead is long, but advocates hope this tragedy will be a catalyst for meaningful, lasting transformation.
What happens next will forever be etched in the minds of those present. As Nowland lifts the knife once more, White makes a split-second decision. “Na, bugger it,” he mutters before discharging his taser. The 95-year-old crumples to the ground as White exclaims, “Got her… grab it!” The room erupts into chaos as White and his colleague, Sergeant Rachel Pank, rush to Nowland’s aid.
The body cam audio captures Pank’s disbelief: “I didn’t expect it to be like that.” She confesses her own hesitation, saying, “I was thinking, I could just grab it, but it was a bit too sharp… I thought surely I can hit it out her hand.” But it was too late. Nowland would succumb to her head injury a week later, her death a direct result of being tasered, according to the prosecution.
A Questionable Use of Force
At the heart of this case lies the question of whether White’s actions constituted a reasonable use of force. Troy Edwards SC, White’s barrister, argues that while the taser injuries caused Nowland’s death, his client’s use of the weapon was justified. Prosecutor Brett Hatfield SC sees it differently, alleging White is guilty of manslaughter either by way of criminal negligence or an unlawful and dangerous act.
Forensic pathologist Dr. Sairita Maistry, who performed Nowland’s autopsy, painted a grim picture in her testimony. Multiple brain injuries were detailed, including bruising, bleeding, and a laceration penetrating the brain itself. “Multiple types of blunt force trauma were present,” Maistry stated matter-of-factly.
A Family’s Grief, a Community’s Outrage
As the trial unfolds, Nowland’s extensive family – eight children, 24 grandchildren, and 31 great-grandchildren – fill the courtroom, united in their grief and quest for answers. The tragedy has reverberated throughout the tight-knit Cooma community and beyond, igniting discussions about police training, use of force, and the treatment of elderly dementia patients.
“She was a tiny, frail woman in her 90s, in a nursing home. How could this happen?” questioned one local resident who wished to remain anonymous. “Even if she had a knife, surely there were better ways to handle it than shooting her with a taser.”
A Glimpse into Police Training and Tactics
The case has also shone a spotlight on the training and tactics employed by police when confronting individuals armed with weapons, particularly those who may be mentally impaired or elderly. Many are questioning whether the use of tasers, which deliver a high-voltage electrical charge to temporarily incapacitate a person, is appropriate in such situations.
“Tasers are less lethal than firearms, but they’re not non-lethal,” explained a use-of-force expert who has consulted on numerous cases. “Especially with vulnerable populations like the elderly, the risk of serious injury or death is very real. Officers need to weigh that risk against the threat level in each situation.”
As the trial enters its third week, the community eagerly awaits the outcome, hoping for accountability, answers, and a commitment to preventing such tragedies in the future. The Nowland family, through their tears and grief, remain steadfast in their pursuit of justice for Clare.
The Larger Issues at Stake
Beyond the courtroom, advocates are using Nowland’s case as a rallying cry for systemic change in aged care, mental health support, and policing practices. They argue that better training, de-escalation techniques, and an overhaul of protocols for interacting with vulnerable populations are desperately needed.
“This isn’t just about one officer or one tragic incident,” asserted a spokesperson for a national aged care advocacy group. “It’s about the way we, as a society, value and protect our elderly. It’s about ensuring those with dementia and mental health issues are treated with dignity, respect, and appropriate care – by nursing homes, by police, by everyone.”
As Senior Constable Kristian White’s fate hangs in the balance, so too does the imperative for change. Clare Nowland’s death, regardless of the trial’s outcome, will forever stand as a haunting reminder of the work that remains to be done – in ensuring justice, reforming institutions, and honoring the dignity of society’s most vulnerable members. The road ahead is long, but advocates hope this tragedy will be a catalyst for meaningful, lasting transformation.
