Major update in fatal tasering charges
The police officer who allegedly tasered 95-year-old Clare Nowland has had his charges upgraded to manslaughter.
Senior Constable Kristian White, 33, was called to Nowland's nursing home in Cooma on May 17th when she was suffering from a medical episode, before allegedly tasering the senior woman.
Nowland, who had dementia, was wandering around her care home with two knives when police arrived and the alleged tasering took place.
A week after the incident, she died in hospital from the injuries she sustained.
While she was still fighting for life in hospital, Nowland's family filed a civil case against the state of NSW for negligence and trespass to a person, launching an investigation into the incident.
Earlier this year, the police officer was charged with recklessly causing grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and common assault over the incident.
On Wednesday, police upgraded Constable White's charges, charging him with manslaughter after receiving advice from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and State Crime Command’s homicide squad.
Constable White remains suspended from duty with full pay and on bail in the Cooma community, where is prohibited from interacting with any of Mrs Nowland’s eight children, 24 grandchildren, or 30 great-grandchildren.
He will next appear at Cooma Local Court on December 6th.
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