Ex-Police Officer Avoids Prison Time After Taser Death of 95-Year-Old Woman

Kristian White, the officer convicted of manslaughter after using a Taser against Clare Nowland, has been spared jail time. This decision has ignited public outrage and raised questions about police force policies.

A former police officer, Kristian White, has been sentenced to community service rather than prison time for his role in the death of 95-year-old Clare Nowland, who suffered from dementia. The incident took place at an aged care facility in Cooma, Australia, where White encountered Nowland holding a small kitchen knife in May 2023. He argued his use of the Taser was to avert a "violent confrontation," but a jury found him guilty of manslaughter, stating that his response was "grossly disproportionate."

The case has drawn widespread public condemnation, with Justice Ian Harrison noting the unique nature of the situation he faced in nearly two decades on the bench. During the trial, the judge emphasized that Mrs. Nowland was simply a frail elderly woman who posed no significant threat. Justice Harrison highlighted that White appeared to have "misread and misunderstood" the dynamics of the encounter.

Evidence presented during the trial included body cam footage showing White threatening Nowland with the Taser before using it just minutes after arriving on the scene. His defense cited the fear felt by on-site paramedics as a justification for his quick escalation to lethal force, but the prosecution maintained that the elderly woman, weighing merely 48kg (105lb) and using a walker, presented no real danger.

Mrs. Nowland's family expressed their anguish at the court, with her son Michael referring to White’s actions as "inhumane" and declaring them a "gutless coward act." Following her death and subsequent outcry, White has lost both his career and community standing, with the judge ultimately ruling out prison time in favor of a two-year community corrections order and mandatory community service totaling 425 hours. Commissioner Karen Webb of NSW Police acknowledged the tragedy while defending the appropriateness of existing Taser training and usage policies, a defense that has attracted scrutiny in the wake of this incident.