Many years ago, a Monty Python sketch depicted gangs of vicious grannies terrorising Britain’s thugs and skinheads. Apparently, NSW Police took it as a training video.
Following a trial in the NSW Supreme Court, Senior Constable Kristian White was found guilty on Wednesday of the manslaughter of Clare Nowland, 95, in a nursing home in Cooma.
Well, who could blame a strapping young constable for being so terrified of a shuffling nonagenarian clutching a kitchen knife in one gnarled hand and a walker in the other that he had no recourse but to resort to what turned out to be lethal force?
White had been suspended with pay throughout the court proceedings, but his pay was revoked the day after the jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict.
On Tuesday – nearly a week later – he was fired from the NSW Police Force.
What led to the fatal confrontation?
White had been pulled from his bed and called to Yallambee Lodge nursing home in Cooma before 5am on May 17, 2023 to assist with a “very aggressive” resident who was holding two knives.
When he arrived, Mrs Nowland was found sitting in an office with one knife and a four wheeled walking frame which she used to slowly get to her feet.
Well, that’s just terrifying. That poor young man must have feared for his life, apparently being unable to flee at more than a snail’s pace.
During his three-minute interaction with Mrs Nowland, White asked her to stay seated and put down the knife while she shuffled forward with both hands on her walker.
The jury was told the great-grandmother had difficulty following directions and had become uncharacteristically aggressive before her death, which a doctor attributed to undiagnosed dementia.
White held the weapon pointed at Mrs Nowland for a minute before he said: “Nah, just bugger it” and pulled the trigger, discharging the Taser probes at her chest.
Mrs Nowland, who weighed less than 48 kgs, fell backwards and struck her head on the floor. She died from her injuries a week later […]
During the trial, White gave evidence that he didn’t intend to hurt Mrs Nowland when he discharged his service Taser at her.
Because, as we all know, a Taser doesn’t hurt one bit. Especially not when you’re a frail 95-year-old.
It’s yet to be determined whether White avoids jail time.
The former police officer remains on bail after Justice Ian Harrison refused to grant a detention application made by the Crown prosecutor.
He told the court a jail sentence was “not inevitable” and expressed concern about “the risk of victimisation of, and gratuitous violence directed to, convicted police officers by other inmates in so-called correctional facilities.”
While the rest of us just have to worry about gratuitous violence from the coppers.
Mrs Nowland’s family said they were “disappointed” with the decision not to detain White after he was found guilty of the manslaughter of their matriarch […]
Mrs Nowland is survived by eight children, 24 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren.
