Officer guilty of manslaughter in Taser incident

A police officer has been found guilty of manslaughter for the unlawful killing of an aged-care resident with dementia.

Senior Constable Kristian James Samuel White discharged his Taser at Clare Nowland in May 2023.

At the time of the incident, Nowland was holding a steak knife.

Footage from the trial showed White saying “nah, bugger it” before shooting her in the torso.

Nowland fell backwards, suffered a head injury, and died a week later in the hospital.

White remains employed by the police, pending a review of his status.

As the jury delivered the guilty verdict, he remained silent with his eyes closed.

Crown prosecutors requested that White be detained immediately following the verdict.

Justice Ian Harrison has postponed the hearing regarding his custody until today.