Internal police emails sent after the alleged fatal tasering of 95-year-old Clare Nowland have raised questions about why police chose to omit details of the incident in a media release, the NSW opposition says.
Key points:
- Clare Nowland died a week after being tasered at a Cooma nursing home
- Emails discussing the incident were released under a parliamentary order
- Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said the emails show Mrs Nowland's family "knew very quickly" about the incident
Mrs Nowland, who had dementia, died in Cooma Hospital in May — a week after allegedly being tasered by a police officer at her Yallambee Lodge nursing home.
Police said the elderly woman had approached police "slowly" using a walking frame, while holding a knife she had taken from the kitchen area.
The state's law enforcement and Police Minister Yasmin Catley have faced months of questions about why an initial media release on May 17, hours after the incident, made no mention of a taser.
Commissioner Karen Webb and Ms Catley have repeatedly said that police wanted Mrs Nowland's family to find out about the taser before they heard through the media.
But emails released under parliamentary order reveal Mrs Nowland's family likely knew the details of the incident soon after she was hospitalised — before a media statement was issued.
Family was contacted by media
One email, sent on June 22 by a senior NSW Police inspector to the commissioner's chief of staff, confirms the commander of the Monaro Police District went to Cooma Hospital on the morning of May 17, to speak with Mrs Nowland's "SNOK" — an acronym for "significant next of kin".
"On arrival Superindent Klepcarek spoke to SNOK, and other family members," the email said.
"The family relayed to police they were starting to receive calls from the media.
"They made it very clear … they did not want details of the incident released to media as they want to focus on the care of their mother.
"They further requested on numerous occasions, they did not want the taser video released to the public."
At the bottom of the email, the senior officer said he understood the commissioner's chief of staff would relay his account to the police minister's office.
Days after the incident in May, Commissioner Webb told 2GB the force did not want the "large" Nowland family "to hear on radio or on TV what had happened to their mum".
Timeline questioned
Ms Catley was asked about the incident in parliament in June.
She reiterated that NSW Police told her they had chosen to omit the word "taser" from the initial release "in consideration" of the Nowland family.
NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said the emails called into question Ms Catley's version of events.
"It now appears that the family knew reasonably quickly, on the day of the tasering, what had happened," he said.
"The police minister has constantly told parliament that the delay was explicable because of the need to tell the family.
"It now appears that her chronology is inaccurate, it's misleading."
The police officer who allegedly discharged the taser, Senior Constable Kristian White, is now facing criminal proceedings and a police internal critical incident investigation is underway.
Commissioner Webb refused to answer questions about the internal emails on Wednesday, telling media the matter was before the court.
Ms Catley has been contacted for comment.