A magistrate has berated prosecutors for allowing the police officer accused of tasering a 95-year-old grandmother not to appear in person before court.
Senior Constable Kristian White first appeared before Cooma Court Local Court via video link on July 5 over the tasering of great-grandmother Clare Nowland, who later died from injuries sustained in the incident.
The 33-year-old has been charged with recklessly causing grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and common assault.
A plea has not been entered on any of the charges.
Magistrate Roger Clisdell chastised the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions for allowing the accused not to appear in person.
The magistrate noted money had been spent on extra security in preparation for the matter being heard in court, saying he was disgusted.
“We’ve got a court full of security, at great expense, and the DPP decided he would appear via (video link),” he told the court.
“Who runs the court, (the DPP) or me?
“Dumbo sitting on the bench here has to suck it up ... I am not happy.”
The magistrate dismissed the NSW DPP’s application to have White detained.
White’s lawyers said he did not present a flight risk and had no risk of reoffending.
It’s alleged White tasered Mrs Nowland at the Yallambee Lodge aged care home in Cooma in May after being called out to the centre.
Nowland, who was holding a steak knife while using a walking frame, was allegedly tasered after she failed to drop the knife.
The 95-year-old fell to the ground, hit her head and suffered a fractured skull.
She died at Cooma Base Hospital a week later.
White was suspended from NSW Police with pay following the incident.
The most serious of the charges he faces, recklessly causing grievous bodily harm, carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
Following Nowland’s death, NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said upgrading the charges was possible.
The matter will return to court on September 6.
