Selesa Tafaifa told Queensland prison guards four times that she couldn’t breathe and pleaded for her asthma medication six times before dying in custody, a coronial inquest has heard.
Tafaifa, a 45-year-old Samoan woman, died in November 2021 after being restrained by staff at the Townsville Women’s Correctional Centre and placed in a spit hood.
Barrister Dan O’Gorman on Monday told the opening of an inquest into Tafaifa’s death that it wasn’t until seven minutes and 21 seconds after Tafaifa first pleaded for medical aid that jail staff conducted a medical assessment.
“A further two minutes 23 seconds elapsed before CPR is commenced,” he said.
The deputy state coroner Stephanie Gallagher will look into the actions of prison guards, the use of spit hoods in Queensland correctional services custody, and the health response, among other issues. Tafaifa had a range of health disorders including diabetes, asthma, obesity and schizoaffective disorder
Her death was recorded by several cameras, including CCTV and body-worn cameras on correctional services officers.
O’Gorman and the Queensland Human Rights Commission both applied for the release of the footage, but lawyers acting for correctional services officers and the prison system argued it should be redacted.
The coroner has yet to make a decision about releasing the footage.
The family of Tafaifa attended Monday’s hearing in Townsville.
O’Gorman read out a statement on their behalf, noting that some parts of their statement had been suppressed by the coroner.
Tafaifa was the eldest of 10 children. O’Gorman told the court she was a grandmother, was known as “big mumma” and had special responsibilities in Samoan culture for the care of other family members.
“The family hopes to expose the truths behind her death … to ensure that what Selesa was forced to endure never happens again to anyone’s mother, grandmother, sister, daughter, grandfather,” he said.
“They want to do what they can to ensure that what happened to their beloved Selesa never happens to any other human being.”
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Her family are pushing for a total ban on spit hoods in all detention facilities in Queensland. The state’s police have already committed to cease using them in watch houses, but they are still used in other parts of the criminal justice system.
The counsel assisting Sarah Lio-Willie told the coroner Tafaifa had refused instructions from correctional services officers attempting to restrain her and spat at one, after not being able to place a series of phone calls. She was placed in a spit hood and then cried out “I can’t breathe”, Lio-Willie said.
She was left on the floor of her cell still restrained in the hood.
Two minutes later, jail staff returned to her cell to find her unresponsive. The cause of her death is still undetermined.
The coroner is also reviewing the actions of staff of the Townsville hospital and health services.
Tafaifa was admitted to Townsville hospital three days before she died after attempting suicide by insulin overdose, but was sent back to the jail by the hospital the same day.
The coroner will also inquire into the adequacy and appropriateness of diabetes and insulin management in the Townsville prison, as well as the facility’s mental health and health management.
Tafaifa spent nearly a year behind bars. At the time of her death she was also under investigation for another alleged incident, in which she was accused of spitting at a correctional services officer.
