Tasered great-grandfather: Christian White accused of punching Claire Nowland granted conditional bail after police accused him of special treatment
Taser Cop Christian White 95-year-old grandmother’s 33-year-old officer faces court in AVLD detention application granted strict bail
Police accused of Tasering 95-year-old great-grandmother Claire Nowland imposed strict bail conditions on her as prosecutors argued she would be barred from any contact with the great-grandmother’s family.
But Christian White, 33, who was due to face Justice Robert Beech-Jones in the NSW Supreme Court on Tuesday, was again excused and appeared via audio visual link from an unspecified location.
Justice Beech-Jones said the allegations against the officer were ‘undoubtedly serious’ and allowed a redacted copy of the police information in the case to be released publicly on Wednesday after giving Ms Nowland’s family the chance to read them.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) was seeking detention for the suspended officer, but made it clear that he had no intention of remanding White.
Taser cop Christian White (above, right) remains on unconditional bail on three counts of violence in the case of Claire Nowland, 95.
Prosecutors are appealing for police to detain Christian White, who has been released into the community without bail after being charged with the tasering of 95-year-old Claire Nowland (above) in May.
Dressed in a suit and tie, Senior Constable White politely answered a brief question ordering him to be of good behaviour, to appear in court if necessary in the future and not to approach Ms Nowland’s family or any witnesses in the case.
He has been living freely in the community, on unconditional bail, since he allegedly tasered Ms Nowland on her walking frame in the early hours of May 17 at a Cooma nursing home.
White was charged with three counts of violence for brandishing a weapon at a dementia patient at Yallambi Lodge in the state’s south when he approached his frame with a knife in his hand.
Ms Nowland fell backwards and suffered head injuries, dying a week later in Cooma Hospital, sparking global outrage.
He died on the evening of May 24 surrounded by family members including his eight children, 24 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren.
Police announced late that same afternoon that White had been charged with recklessly causing grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning bodily harm and common assault.
He was charged by summons and remains on unconditional bail, but that could change with prosecutors applying to impose conditions if he is allowed to remain in the community.
Police Commissioner Karen Webb has been accused of a cover-up while police spin doctors scoured the campaign for any mention of Ms Nowland’s tasering of the alleged attack, whether Nowland had a knife, was in a nursing home or under police employment. re-evaluation
Sacked police officer Christian White (above in Cooma last month) appears in the NSW Supreme Court as prosecutors appeal for his detention or tougher bail conditions.
The detention application comes after it was revealed Ms Nowland’s family were suing the state of NSW over her alleged assault and filed a civil action on her behalf before her death.
Ms Nowland, a 43kg, 157cm great grandmother with dementia, was placed inside a treatment room at the nursing home when she slowly approached Snr. The constable is white and a female sergeant.
After Snr. Constable White fired his Taser and she fell, Mrs. Nowland never regaining consciousness before her death.
It is alleged that the officer Tasered Ms Nowland after telling her to ‘stop’ several times, then saying ‘oh bugger it’ as he deployed the Taser.
Despite intense public interest in the tasering of 95-year-old Mrs Nowland, Commissioner Webb has consistently refused to view bodycam footage of the incident, which senior police have described as ‘inconvenient’.
Earlier this month, a magistrate protested against prosecutors for allowing White to appear in person at Cooma Local Court via audio visual link.
A ‘disgusted’ NSW magistrate Roger Clisdale chastised the Director of Public Prosecutions for wasting money spent on extra security and was left ‘sitting here on the bench with Dumbo (who) has to suck it up’.
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