Top cop’s shock call on Taser verdict

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb has declared Senior Constable Kristian White’s employment is “under review” after he was found guilty of killing a 95-year-old woman in a nursing home while on duty.

“The death of Clare Nowland is a terrible tragedy and my deepest condolences go to the Nowland family,” she said in a press conference on Wednesday, following the verdict.

“This should never have happened.”

Commissioner Webb said Constable White had been suspended with pay throughout the proceedings, but that status is now under review.

“The officer’s employment is currently under review. I expect to consider that matter next week,” she said.

She said she had not spoken to Constable White following the verdict and considers it would be inappropriate to do so, considering her review of his employment status.

She will, however, reach out to the Nowland family, she said.

Constable White faced an eight-day trial in the NSW Supreme Court this month after pleading not guilty to manslaughter over the death of Clare Nowland.

After four days of deliberation, the jury returned a unanimous verdict of guilty on Wednesday afternoon.

The police officer closed his eyes and hung his head as the jury foreperson delivered the verdict. His brow was furrowed but he otherwise kept his face blank.

He will face sentencing later this year, and on Thursday will learn if he will be taken into custody ahead of that hearing.

Constable White remains on bail, but a detention application will be heard on Thursday.

He had been called to Yallambee Lodge nursing home in Cooma after 4am on May 17, 2023 to respond to a triple-0 call for assistance with a “very aggressive” resident who was holding two knives.

Mrs Nowland was found sitting in a nurse’s office with her walking frame clutching a knife and a penlight just after 5am.

The footage shows the paramedics and police officers urging the great-grandmother to stay seated and put down the knife. She instead put down the pen.

The jury heard the great-grandmother found it difficult to follow instructions and became uncharacteristically aggressive before her death, which a geriatrician attributed to her undiagnosed dementia.

Mrs Nowland struggled to her feet using her walking frame and started to slowly move towards the doorway, despite repeated requests from the officers to stay seated and put the knife down.

Constable White’s colleague Acting Sergeant Jessica Pank can be seen stepping towards the 95-year-old in an attempt to grab the knife, but Mrs Nowland lifted the knife above her head.

Body worn footage showed Constable White lifting the Taser and pointing it at Mrs Nowland.

He activated the Taser’s audio and visual warning signals.

“We’re not playing this game Clare, put that down,” he told her.

“You keep coming, you’re going to get tased.”

Constable White held the Taser at Mrs Nowland for a minute while warning her to stop and put down the knife.

“Stop, just … Nah, bugger it,” he said before firing his stun gun at her chest.

“Got her … grab it”.

The great-grandmother, who weighed less than 48 kgs, wobbled before falling backwards and slamming against the floor.

She sustained a significant brain bleed and died in hospital a week later.

Constable White had argued the use of force was proportionate to the risk Mrs Nowland posed to herself and others by wielding the knife.

However, that argument was rejected by the jury on Wednesday.

They unanimously agreed Constable White had caused the unlawful death of Mrs Nowland, either by negligence or a criminal act.

More to come.