A prisoner who was in Brisbane City watch house in the days leading up to Aunty Sherry's death in custody in September 2020 has told the coroner she believed the Birri Gubba woman should have been taken to hospital.
A joint inquest into her death and the death of Croatian woman Vlasta Wylucki heard evidence this week at the Brisbane Magistrate Court.
The inquest is investigating the adequacy of checks and procedures in two watch houses in the Gold Coast and Brisbane City, and the appropriateness of communication with Aunty Sherry’s family after her death.
'Clear as day' Aunty Sherry not well
Detainee Tamsyn White, who gave evidence at the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday, told the inquest she saw Aunty Sherry refuse breakfast, lunch and dinner during her time in the watch house on September 6 and 7.
Ms White also told the court she heard Aunty Sherry vomiting on several occasions in the cell next to her, and saw the trail of vomit flowing to the shared drain in the middle of the cells.
While in the Brisbane City watch house Ms White was experiencing morning sickness and was asked by a watch house officer if she wanted to go to the hospital.
She declined but told the officer they should take Aunty Sherry to the hospital instead.
“It was clear as day [that Aunty Sherry was not well],” Ms White told the inquest.
“Most of the time I was there she was laying down.”
Ms White only indicated on that one occasion to the watch house officers that Aunty Sherry needed medical attention.
She says no one came to clean up the vomit during her time at the watch house and told the court she wished she notified the watch house officer more about her concerns of Aunty Sherry but thought they wouldn’t listen.
“It’s pointless, they won’t listen to you,” Ms White said.
Aunty Sherry died of a brain aneurism in the Brisbane City watch house in the early hours of 10 September 2020. Credit: AAP: Jono Searle
“I used to get locked from age 13 to 19 and I’ve never seen anything like that in the watch house, someone so sick and someone just vomiting on the floor and no one doing anything about it.”
Aunty Sherry was found unresponsive in her cell at 6am on September 10 in 2020.
The 49-year-old died of a brain aneurism but there are concerns about the care and supervision provided in the watch house.
“Why [aren't] the necessary bloody changes, the steps, the provisions in place to ensure that our people are safe when they’re locked up?” Aunty Sherry’s nephew, Troy ‘Jungaji’ Brady, told NITV during day four of the inquest.
Aunty Sherry's family say they want “justice and accountability” over her death. Credit: AAP: Darren England
“Poor Aunty Sherry, she was in pain those days leading up to her death.
“Why was she in the watch house in the first place, she should’ve been up the hospital, whether it be under police guide or not.”
The inquest will resume on Monday for its final day where the court will hear evidence from the investigator who looked into the case, as well as a superintendent for the Queensland Police Service.
