Senior constable who killed great-grandmother Clare Nowland to fight being jailed over fears for his safety
A police officer who unlawfully killed a elderly resident with dementia by shooting her with a Taser could be thrown behind bars a day after a jury found him guilty of manslaughter.
Senior Constable Kristian James Samuel White fired his stun gun at Clare Nowland in a treatment room at the Yallambee Lodge retirement home in the southern NSW town of Cooma during the early hours of May 17, 2023.
In video footage played during his trial in the NSW Supreme Court, White was heard saying “no, crap” before shooting the great-grandmother in the torso.
Ms Nowland, who was holding a steak knife at the time, fell backwards and hit her head before dying in hospital a week later.
White still works for the police, which is undergoing a review of his employment.
When the jury returned its guilty verdict on Wednesday, he stood still, closed his eyes and bowed his head.
Prosecutors immediately filed a request to take the 34-year-old into custody, but Judge Ian Harrison adjourned the hearing until Thursday.
He said he would need evidence about the conditions White would face in prison as he was a police officer.
Senior constable Kristian White (pictured) faces 25 years behind bars after being found guilty of the manslaughter of Clare Nowland at her rural NSW nursing home on Wednesday
Ms Nowland (pictured), who was holding a steak knife when she was tasered by the officer, fell backwards and hit her head before dying in hospital a week later
Officers are typically housed far away from other inmates because they can be targeted by criminals who are also locked up behind bars.
On Wednesday, defense barrister Troy Edwards SC argued that a prison sentence for White was not inevitable given the wide range of possible sentences for manslaughter.
The charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 25 years.