Cop who fatally tasered grandmother learns fate
A jury has found a police officer guilty of manslaughter after he fatally tasered a grandmother in a care home.
Senior Constable Kristian James Samuel White, 34, discharged his stun gun at 95-year-old 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 17th 2023.
In video footage played at his NSW Supreme Court trial, he was heard saying “nah, bugger it” before shooting the great-grandmother, who was holding a knife, in the torso.
Nowland fell and hit her head, and died in hospital a week later.
During the trial, the jurors heard eight days of evidence and submissions in the trial, including from the nursing staff, paramedics and White’s police supervisor who were there at the time he fired.
After deliberating for 20 hours, a 12-person jury returned with a guilty verdict of manslaughter on Wednesday in the NSW Supreme Court.
The offence of manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison in New South Wales.
The Crown has applied for White to be taken in custody ahead of sentencing, with the application to be determined on Thursday.
The family of Clare Nowland issued a statement through their lawyer Sam Tierney, which read, “The Nowland family were present in court today when Kristian White was convicted of the manslaughter of their beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother Clare.”
“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. The family would like to thank the Judge and jury for carefully considering the matter and the DPP prosecution team for their hard work.”
Image credits: 9News