A former police officer has escaped jail time after deploying Taser on a 95-year-old woman with dementia symptoms in Australia's care home.
During a confrontation, Clare Nowland refused to drop a kitchen knife, which prompted Kristian White to use the weapon to prevent a "violent confrontation" in May 2023.
On Friday, March 28, 2025, Justice Ian Harrison, while announcing the penalty in the New South Wales (NSW) Supreme Court said that White's actions at Yallambee Lodge were a "terrible mistake."
The "obvious" reality of the situation was that Mrs Nowland was a "frail and confused 95-year-old woman," who "posed nothing that could reasonably be described as a threat of any substance."
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In November 2024, White was found guilty of manslaughter by a jury after the 95-year-old passed away a week later due to her injuries.
The prosecutors argued his actions towards Nowland were "grossly disproportionate."
In a letter of apology to her relatives, White penned, "I deeply regret my actions and the severe consequences they have caused, to not only Mrs Nowland, but also to you family and the greater community."
Justice Harrison shared that a jail term was not necessary as White has already lost his job and become an unwelcome member of the local community.
The former police officer was sentenced to a community corrections orders of two years and 425 hours of community service.
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Notably, Kristian White served as a police officer with the NSW police for 12 years before he was removed.
