Kristian White, a former New South Wales police officer, will not serve a prison sentence after being found guilty of manslaughter in relation to the tragic death of 95-year-old grandmother, Clare Nowland. On Friday March 28, Justice Ian Harrison sentenced White to a two-year Community Correction Order.
The incident occurred on May 17, 2023, at Yallambee Lodge aged-care home in Cooma, where White used a taser on Mrs Nowland, an elderly dementia patient armed with a knife, after she did not comply with instructions. She subsequently fell and suffered a head injury, which led to her passing a week later.
PHOTO: Mrs Clare Nowland CREDIT: NSW Police
In November 2024, a jury at the NSW Supreme Court found White guilty of manslaughter. Yesterday, according to reports from the ABC, Justice Harrison described White’s decision to use the taser as a “terrible mistake” that could have been managed differently.
PHOTO: The moment Kristian White enters the aged care facility on May 17, 2023 CREDIT: NSW Supreme Court CCTV footage.
Mrs Nowland’s son, Michael Nowland, expressed his frustration outside the court, calling the judgment “a slap on the wrist.”
Justice Harrison explained his decision by stating that White’s actions were at the “lower end of objective seriousness” for manslaughter and deemed imprisonment “disproportionate” given that White no longer posed a risk to the community.
PHOTO: Mrs Nowland one week after the incident just before her death CREDIT: NSW Police
According to the Guardian, the judge also took into account White’s remorse, alongside his diagnoses of major depressive disorder and PTSD, which have influenced his decision to move away from Cooma due to local hostility. As part of the sentence, White is required to complete 425 hours of community service and must report to a community corrections officer.