COOMA — A New South Wales Supreme Court jury found Senior Constable Kristian James Samuel White guilty of manslaughter in November 2024 over the death of 95-year-old nursing home resident Clare Nowland, whom he Tasered at Yallambee Lodge in Cooma on 17 May 2023. White was sentenced to a two-year good behaviour bond in March 2025, a decision later upheld by the New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal.

Emergency services were called to Yallambee Lodge in the early hours of 17 May 2023 after Nowland grabbed two serrated steak knives from the kitchen and refused to give them up. During a two-minute and 40-second encounter, White drew his stun gun, pointed it at Nowland for one minute, and then discharged it at her chest. Before firing, White said, "nah, bugger it."

Nowland fell and hit her head after being struck by the Taser's barbs. She did not regain consciousness and died in hospital a week later after a brain bleed. White was removed from the New South Wales Police Force in December 2024.

Intensive care paramedic Anna Hofner gave evidence about the response. "I felt absolute shock and disbelief when the stun gun was deployed," Hofner said. She also said, "I didn't think the use of a Taser was proportionate to the magnitude of the incident; it seemed excessive."

At the inquest into Nowland's death, counsel assisting Sophie Callan SC outlined alternative approaches available to first responders, telling the inquest that one option would have been to wait outside, close the only door to the room, and monitor Nowland through the window. "The elderly woman's death rocked her family, the local community and the broader NSW community to its core," Callan said.

At the time of the incident, neither NSW Police nor NSW Ambulance officers had received training specifically on responding to incidents involving people with dementia. In 2024, ambulance officers were trained on how to respond to a dementia patient wielding a spatula in an aged care facility.