Lawyer says Clare Nowland’s family is ‘not seeking revenge’ on police officer Kristian White

The lawyer for the family of a 95-year-old woman fatally tasered by a police officer said that the family wants ‘positive changes’ and is ‘not seeking revenge’.

The lawyer for the family of a 95-year-old woman who was fatally tasered by a police officer has said that the family is “not seeking revenge” and hopes instead for “positive changes”.

Following a trial in the NSW Supreme Court, Senior Constable Kristian White was last week found guilty of the manslaughter of Clare Nowland, 95, in a nursing home in Cooma.

White pointed his Taser at Mrs Nowland for a minute before he said: “Nah, just bugger it” and pulled the trigger.

Mrs Nowland, who weighed less than 48 kgs, fell backwards and struck her head on the floor. She died from her injuries a week later.

She is survived by eight children, 24 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren.

Kristian White has been found guilty of manslaughter. Picture: NewsWire / Monique Harmer

The lawyer for her family, Sam Tierney, told the Today Show that the family has been “very respectful of the court process”.

“Ultimately, the family really is not seeking revenge for what has occurred here,” he said.

“They just would like to see a fair and just outcome in the circumstances where a serving police officer decided to fire his Taser at an elderly, frail woman inside an aged care home.”

Mr Tierney said the Nowland family would “very much like to see some positive changes” come out of their matriarch’s death, including a review of the appropriateness of bringing a Taser into a nursing home.

He said that the damning CCTV and body camera evidence of the manslaughter had been available for over a year, but it still took NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb 18 months from the incident to terminate White’s employment.

The family’s lawyer says it is likely the Nowlands will see White on bail in the community. Picture: Supplied

“The family at the moment are really feeling that this decision is just too little, too late on the commissioner’s part and ultimately the family feels extremely frustrated that White’s been on fully paid leave for the last 18 months while this criminal charge has run its course,” Mr Tierney told Today.

White had been suspended with pay throughout the court proceedings, but his pay was revoked the day after the jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict.

On Tuesday – nearly a week later – he was fired from the NSW Police Force.

Mr Tierney said the Nowland family were only notified shortly before the public about the NSW Police Commissioner’s decision.

During a press conference after the guilty verdict, Commissioner Webb said she had to follow procedure when considering the termination of White’s employment.

He explained the Nowland family “struggled to understand” why White’s bail was continued after he was found guilty of the manslaughter of the 95-year-old woman.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb has been criticised for not firing White earlier. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short

Despite a no contact order as part of White’s bail conditions, Mr Tierney said it is likely “the family will see Mr. White in the community living his life” before he returns to court in February next year.

“It has to be borne in mind, of course, David, that the Cooma community is a very, very small community,” the family’s lawyer said.

“The family is struggling to understand why the Court felt it was appropriate to leave White on bail and free in the Cooma community without any real restrictions in light of that conviction,” the Nowland family said in a statement issued on Friday.

White is set to face a sentencing hearing in February.

The offence of manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison in NSW.