Nicholas Aaron Scott, a 26-year-old prisoner with a history of self-harm, escaped from Royal Hobart Hospital on 2 January 2023 while under correctional officer supervision. He had been admitted for ingestion of foreign objects. Two correctional officers failed to follow security protocols: they removed his handcuffs despite explicit instructions he be restrained at all times, permitted an unauthorised phone call, did not maintain proper positioning at the toilet door, and failed to react promptly when he fled. The escape was entirely preventable through adherence to established procedures. Scott subsequently became involved in a violent altercation and was fatally shot by David Coles. The coroner found both officers failed their duty to guard Scott and exercise basic security vigilance, though the escape itself did not directly cause his death.
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Specialties
correctional healthemergency medicinepsychiatry
Error types
proceduralcommunicationsystem
Drugs involved
methamphetaminecannabis
Clinical conditions
self-harmpica/foreign body ingestionsubstance use disorder
Contributing factors
failure of correctional officers to maintain security protocols
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