A former Australian police officer has avoided a prison term for killing a 95-year-old nursing home resident with a stun gun.

Kristian White was sentenced to 450 hours of community service and placed under the supervision of a corrections officer for two years for manslaughter.

“Mr. White made by what any measure was a terrible mistake,” Justice Ian Harrison said in the New South Wales state Supreme Court.

Prosecutors had called for a prison term in the killing of Clare Nowland, a great-grandmother who suffered dementia, but the judge said such a punishment was disproportionate.

“It is … at the lower end of seriousness of crimes amounting to wrongful death,” Harrison said.

  • Wilco@lemm.eeEnglish
    135·
    3 days ago

    Ugh. I’m going to get downvoted … but I kind of agree with the ruling.

    1. We don’t know the whole story. A 95 year old dementia patient with a butcher knife hits her head and dies after being tazed… that’s the summary. The courts had all the details and likely made the best decision.

    2. One dumb unfortunate mistake should not put an officer in prison for 10+ years. This man served his community for years only to make one regretful split second decision … his years of service have to count for something and balance out the mistake.

    • HellsBelle@sh.itjust.worksOPEnglish
      10·
      3 days ago

      Here’s what happened. It was a steak knife (not a butcher knife), she was using a walker, and she was 5’ 2" tall.

      A 95-year-old woman is in critical condition after police in Australia shocked her with a stun gun as she approached them with a walking frame and a steak knife at her nursing home.

      At the time, "she was approaching police, but it is fair to say at a slow pace,” he said. “She had a walking frame, but she had a knife.”

      After responding to a call about a patient having a knife in her possession, Cotter said Nowland was found in a “small confined” treatment room by two officers who arrived at the scene.

      “Negotiations commenced for her to drop the knife. For whatever reasons, Clare did not do that,” he said, adding that the senior constable activated his stun gun, which are widely known as Tasers after a major manufacturer.

      The 5-foot-2 woman, who weighs 95 pounds, fell to the ground and struck her head.

      https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/australia-police-taser-stun-gun-woman-dementia-clare-nowland-95-rcna85212

      • Ilovethebomb@lemm.eeEnglish
        26·
        3 days ago

        Given that the whole point of a device like that is they incapacitate without doing permanent harm, that sounds entirely reasonable at first glance.

        • SkyezOpen@lemmy.worldEnglish
          9·
          3 days ago

          Tazers and other less lethal means can still kill, and old people are fragile as hell. If you tazed 100 95 year olds I would bet money on more than half of them dying directly or shortly thereafter.

          • Ilovethebomb@lemm.eeEnglish
            26·
            3 days ago

            I definitely wouldn’t put money on 50/50.

            Also, it was falling that hurt her, not the actual shock.

              • Ilovethebomb@lemm.eeEnglish
                34·
                3 days ago

                Often, yes. But the TAZER didn’t directly kill her, which is a subtle difference, but worth pointing out.

    • CheeseToastie@lazysoci.alEnglish
      37·
      3 days ago

      Yep plus people with dementia can have a lot of strength and speed. It depends on how close they were, furniture in the room, other people there etc.