A 34-year-old Australian police officer, Kristian White, has been found guilty of manslaughter following the Tasering of Clare Nowland, a 95-year-old woman with dementia symptoms, in a care home. The incident, which occurred on May 17, 2023, sparked widespread public outrage.

Mrs. Nowland, who used a walker and weighed less than 48kg (105lb), was found wandering with a kitchen knife at Yallambee Lodge in Cooma, New South Wales. Emergency services were called to the scene around 4:00 am after she was seen roaming the facility with two serrated steak knives. Although she had reportedly displayed signs of cognitive decline and occasional aggression, the Crown prosecutor argued she posed no immediate threat.

According to footage shown during the trial, Mrs. Nowland was slowly approaching officers with her walker, covering a distance of just 1m (3.3ft) in a minute. Despite her limited mobility, White used his Taser after warning her and saying, “bugger it,” firing while she was still 1.5m-2m away. Mrs. Nowland fell, hitting her head and suffering a fatal brain bleed.

White maintained that his use of force was proportionate, claiming he felt a “violent confrontation was imminent.” However, prosecutors argued that his actions were “impatient” and unnecessary, highlighting that paramedics and another officer at the scene admitted Mrs. Nowland’s slow movement made it easy to avoid any danger.

The case has prompted a review of NSW Police Taser policies and training, though Police Commissioner Karen Webb defended their adequacy. White, who remains on bail, faces sentencing at a later date. Mrs. Nowland’s family expressed gratitude to the court for its decision and requested privacy as they process the verdict, calling her death a “criminal and unjustified act.”