A former New South Wales police officer who tasered a 95-year-old woman living with dementia at an aged care home has avoided jail.
Kristian White was found guilty of unlawfully killing Clare Nowland after an eight-day trial in the NSW Supreme Court late last year.
White will have to perform 425 hours of community service as part of his two-year community corrections order.
In handing down his decision, Justice Ian Harrison found that White made a "terrible mistake" but that his crime fell at the lower end of objective seriousness.
Kristian White was found guilty of the manslaughter of 95-year-old Claire Nowland. (Source: 1News)
The court previously heard White fired his Taser at the great-grandmother, who was holding a steak knife and walking slowly with a frame, at the Yallambee Lodge aged care facility in Cooma in May 2023.
The impact caused her to fall backwards and hit her head. She was rushed to hospital with a skull fracture and brain bleed, but never regained consciousness and died a week later.
White’s actions were captured on his body-worn camera. The footage, played in court, showed him saying "nah, bugger it" before firing his Taser. The jury rejected his defence that the use of force was justified.
The former officer has remained on bail since the verdict. His legal team has argued his actions were a misjudgement, not malicious, and asked for leniency. Prosecutors pushed for a full-time custodial sentence, saying White has not shown genuine remorse.
At a sentencing hearing in February, Nowland’s family gave emotional statements describing their grief and anger. They said she had lived a remarkable life, only for it to end in a brutal and undignified way.
White was removed from the police force in December after the guilty verdict, but he has launched legal action for a review of that decision.
Sobs heard as sentence read
As the sentence was read out by Harrison, sobs were heard from members of Nowland’s family around the courtroom.
Some shook their heads in disbelief. Others walked out, unable to stay for the remainder of the hearing. Those who remained quietly comforted one another, many in tears, before huddling together outside the courtroom.
White appeared visibly relieved. He nodded to his lawyer and hugged his wife, who was also crying.
Family 'disappointed' by sentence
Speaking outside court, Nowland’s eldest son Michael said the outcome was “very disappointing” for the family.
“A slap on the wrist for someone who’s killed our mother," he said. "It’s very hard to process."
He added that the family felt "no remorse" from White, criticising the timing of his written apology, which was submitted just days before the sentencing hearing.
White’s legal team responds
Speaking on his behalf, solicitor Warwick Anderson said White and his family were “very relieved” by the outcome.
“They haven’t lost sight of the tragedy of Mrs Nowland,” he said. “They’re now going to take their time and move on with their lives.”
Timeline of events:
May 17, 2023 – Clare Nowland is tasered by police at Yallambee Lodge aged care facility in Cooma.
May 24, 2023 – Nowland dies in hospital a week after the incident.
May 31, 2023 – Senior Constable Kristian White is charged with manslaughter.
November 27, 2024 – A NSW Supreme Court jury finds White guilty of manslaughter after an eight-day trial.
February 7, 2025 – A sentencing hearing is held. Nowland’s family delivers 14 emotional victim impact statements. White tenders a written apology.
March 28, 2025 – White is sentenced
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