A former Australian police officer, Kristian White, was sentenced on March 28, 2025, for the manslaughter of 95-year-old Clare Nowland, whom he killed with a stun gun. The sentencing took place in the New South Wales state Supreme Court, where White received 450 hours of community service and two years of supervised probation, disappointing Nowland’s family who had hoped for a prison term.
- Former police officer avoids prison sentence
- Sentenced to 450 hours of community service
- Victim was a 95-year-old nursing home resident
- Judge deemed punishment proportionate to crime
- Family expresses disappointment over the ruling
- White issued an apology to the victim's family
White’s actions occurred on May 17, 2023, when he deployed a Taser against Nowland, who was holding a steak knife and wandering in a nursing home. She later died from injuries sustained in the incident, including a brain bleed.
The incident involving Kristian White and Clare Nowland has raised significant concerns about police conduct and the treatment of vulnerable individuals. On May 17, 2023, police were called to a nursing home in Cooma, where Nowland was found wandering with a walker and a steak knife. White confronted her and deployed his Taser, leading to her falling and suffering a fatal brain bleed.
Key details of the case include:
- White was convicted of manslaughter in 2024.
- He faced a maximum sentence of 25 years but received community service instead.
- Nowland was suffering from dementia at the time of the incident.
During the sentencing, Justice Ian Harrison acknowledged the severity of the incident but deemed a prison sentence disproportionate to the crime. He stated that Nowland posed no substantial threat to White. Outside the court, Nowland’s son expressed deep disappointment, describing the sentence as a mere “slap on the wrist.” White, who was dismissed from the police force in December 2023, issued an apology to Nowland’s family, expressing regret for his actions.
This case highlights the complexities surrounding police interactions with individuals in crisis and raises questions about accountability and appropriate responses in similar situations. The outcome has sparked discussions about the need for better training and guidelines for law enforcement when dealing with vulnerable individuals.
