NSW police officer Kristian White has been found guilty of manslaughter after he tasered a 95-year-old aged care resident.
Staff at a home in regional NSW called Triple Zero in May 2023, after finding elderly resident Clare Nowland outside of her room in the middle of the night, holding a steak knife.
Soon after White arrived on the scene, he tasered Nowland. She later died in hospital from her injuries.
He’s now been found guilty of manslaughter in the NSW Supreme Court.
Incident
On the night of the incident, 95-year-old Nowland weighed 47kg and used a walking frame. It’s believed she had dementia, although she was not formally diagnosed.
According to evidence presented to the court, White and his fellow officers tried to tell Nowland to drop the knife she was carrying.
White then said “bugger it” and deployed his taser. Nowland fell backwards and hit her head.
At trial, White’s lawyers argued he was responding to a “legitimate threat”.
Manslaughter
Under NSW law, manslaughter is the unintentional killing of another person, while murder is defined by intent.
There are several categories of manslaughter. For example, a person can be convicted of manslaughter if it’s proven that they killed someone through “excessive self-defence,” or by being “criminally negligent” to someone they’re responsible for.
The maximum sentence for manslaughter in NSW is 25 years in prison. White is expected to be sentenced at a later date.
NSW Police response
At a press conference on Wednesday, NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said: “The Court has found Clare Nowland died as a result of the actions of a police officer. That should never have happened.”
Webb said White’s job as a police officer is “under review” and she will “consider that matter next week”.
The Commissioner suggested White could appeal.
Webb also added that the police taser training had been reviewed this year, but that it had not been changed.
