The NSW police minister has been grilled in parliament after it was revealed top police officers removed key details from a public statement on the Tasering of elderly aged care resident Clare Nowland.
Internal emails obtained by The Sydney Morning Herald uncovered the original draft media release sent for approval on the day Nowland, 95, was Tasered at Yallambee Lodge in Cooma on May 17.
The great-grandmother had dementia and died in hospital a week later.
The Herald revealed through freedom of information laws the draft release that was sent to NSW Police Executive Director of Public Affairs Elizabeth Deegan at 10.34am that day.
The draft was edited to remove any mention of the knife or a Taser, where the confrontation occurred or that an officer was under review.
The documents reveal Deegan then emailed the edited statement to NSW Police Deputy Commissioner David Hudson at 1.43pm.
He approved it at 2.09pm.
The final statement sent to media and published online said a critical incident investigation had been launched after “an elderly woman sustained injuries during an interaction with police at an aged care facility in the state’s south”.
“The 95-year-old woman was taken to Cooma District Hospital, where her condition is being monitored,” the NSW Police statement given to the media said.
“A critical incident team will now investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
“That investigation will be subject to independent review. No further details are available at this time.”
Read Related Also: Georgia man sues Facebook and wins after platform denied access to his account, personal photos: report
In NSW parliament today, Police Minister Yasmin Catley was asked what action she would be taking in light of the changes being revealed.
Catley said the media reports were the first she had heard about the edited statement.
“I think that we bear in mind the family, the family has not been informed of this, which is obviously why your question is so vague,” Catley said.
“Let’s let (the) LECC (Law Enforcement Conduct Commission) do the work we have charged them to do.”
The LECC is the watchdog charged with overseeing the investigation into the Tasering incident.
She said it was a level one critical incident and “we should allow that investigation to play its course”.
Nowland was a mother of eight, grandmother of 24, and great-grandmother of 29.
Senior Constable Kristian White has been charged with recklessly causing grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and common assault.
He is due to appear in court next month.
Sign up here to receive our daily newsletters and breaking news alerts, sent straight to your inbox.
