The case has ignited a debate over law enforcement's use of force in Australia.
**Former Officer Avoids Jail for Fatal Tasering of 95-Year-Old Woman**
**Former Officer Avoids Jail for Fatal Tasering of 95-Year-Old Woman**
A former police officer received a community service order instead of imprisonment after fatally Tasering a frail elderly woman.
Kristian White, a former police officer, has been handed a community corrections order rather than a jail term after a jury found him guilty of manslaughter in the controversial Tasering of Clare Nowland, a 95-year-old woman suffering from dementia at an aged care home in Cooma, New South Wales. The incident occurred in May 2023 when White responded to reports of the elderly resident holding two small kitchen knives and found her disoriented.
Prosecutors contended that White’s decision to use his Taser was both unwarranted and "grossly disproportionate" to the situation he encountered. Justice Ian Harrison, presiding over the sentencing, remarked that the case was "unlike any other" he had faced in 20 years, labeling White's actions as a “terrible mistake.”
At the sentencing in the NSW Supreme Court, Justice Harrison noted the obvious fact that Mrs. Nowland exhibited no substantial threat given her frail condition and reliance on a walker for mobility. The officer's body camera footage revealed a brief exchange wherein White warned her to drop the knives before electing to use the Taser, striking her and causing a fatal brain hemorrhage from the end of the fall.
While the defense drew on testimonies from paramedics and fellow officers who claimed to have felt threatened, prosecutors refuted this narrative, emphasizing the incongruity of feeling endangered by a 95-year-old woman weighing less than 48 kg (105 lb). Her son Michael Nowland communicated the family’s ongoing trauma, expressing how White's "gutless coward act" forever altered their lives.
Reflecting on the tragedy, White submitted an apology letter stating he never anticipated such severe consequences resulting from his actions. Following his conviction, he was removed from the police force where he had served for 12 years. In light of his past and the lack of risk of future offenses, Justice Harrison opted for a two-year community corrections order and 425 hours of community service rather than incarceration.
The circumstances surrounding Clare Nowland's death have led to widespread outrage and prompted a critical examination of Tasering policies and practices within NSW Police, with Commissioner Karen Webb acknowledging the tragedy while defending current training protocols.
Prosecutors contended that White’s decision to use his Taser was both unwarranted and "grossly disproportionate" to the situation he encountered. Justice Ian Harrison, presiding over the sentencing, remarked that the case was "unlike any other" he had faced in 20 years, labeling White's actions as a “terrible mistake.”
At the sentencing in the NSW Supreme Court, Justice Harrison noted the obvious fact that Mrs. Nowland exhibited no substantial threat given her frail condition and reliance on a walker for mobility. The officer's body camera footage revealed a brief exchange wherein White warned her to drop the knives before electing to use the Taser, striking her and causing a fatal brain hemorrhage from the end of the fall.
While the defense drew on testimonies from paramedics and fellow officers who claimed to have felt threatened, prosecutors refuted this narrative, emphasizing the incongruity of feeling endangered by a 95-year-old woman weighing less than 48 kg (105 lb). Her son Michael Nowland communicated the family’s ongoing trauma, expressing how White's "gutless coward act" forever altered their lives.
Reflecting on the tragedy, White submitted an apology letter stating he never anticipated such severe consequences resulting from his actions. Following his conviction, he was removed from the police force where he had served for 12 years. In light of his past and the lack of risk of future offenses, Justice Harrison opted for a two-year community corrections order and 425 hours of community service rather than incarceration.
The circumstances surrounding Clare Nowland's death have led to widespread outrage and prompted a critical examination of Tasering policies and practices within NSW Police, with Commissioner Karen Webb acknowledging the tragedy while defending current training protocols.
