New Zealand nurse Georgina Melody granted immunity over Melbourne prison baby death

A New Zealand nurse working in an Australian prison on the night a newborn baby died has been granted immunity after refusing to perform CPR on the tiny infant.

Georgina Melody appeared in a Victorian Coroner's Court after she was given a certificate of indemnity by Coroner John Olle, having initially refused to attend voluntarily for fear of legal or disciplinary consequences, the Daily Mail reported.

The court heard Melody had only been working the night shift at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre for six months before the night the baby, known as Baby A, died.

Baby A was 12 days old when she died inside the prison's "Mothers and Children Units" in August 2018.

She was born addicted to methadone and her mother was serving time for drug-related offending, the HeraldSun reported.

The court heard that Baby A was especially vulnerable. Photo / 123RF

Rachel Ellyard, counsel assisting the Coroner, told the court at a pre-inquest hearing last month how Baby A could not have been more vulnerable.

"She was vulnerable because she was a newborn baby. She was vulnerable because she'd been born addicted to methadone, and therefore, had additional health needs.

"She was vulnerable because her mother was in prison, and was herself a person with drug addiction.

"So her case raises important questions about children in her position and how they are cared for."

'Uncompassionate and unkind'

Melody told the inquest that she had no formal training in neonatal care and had no responsibility to care for inmate's babies except in the case of an emergency.

On the night that Baby A died, Melody was 30 minutes from finishing her shift when she was fetched by a guard after she could not be reached on a radio in the prison's medical unit.

The inquest heard that guards had called a "Code Black" after hearing frantic calls from another inmate that Baby A was unresponsive, the Daily Mail reported.

Melody told the court she was unaware she was going to treat a newborn until she saw Baby A's limp body being cradled by her mother.

"It wasn't immediately drawn to my attention who was the casualty," Melody, who reportedly showed no emotion in the witness box, told the court.

"When I walked in I didn't get a sense of emergency. I didn't hear any hysteria or panic."

The Dame Phyllis Frost Centre in Melbourne.

The court heard that Melody refused to provide CPR to Baby A, despite firefighters who arrived later battling to try and save the infant.

"The nurse just said "Oh I'm sorry". That was it ... she did not touch the baby," an inmate, named as 'Alice', alleged,

Melody denied that she failed to touch the baby and also denied apologising to the mother.

Barrister Julie Munster, acting for Baby A's mother, asked whether Melody felt distressed by the incident.

"Not necessarily. No," Melody said.

"No. It was surprising."

Munster alleged that Baby A's mother told Melody that her child was not breathing.

"She was begging you to help her baby," Munster said.

"No," Melody replied.

Munster also accused Melody of being "uncompassionate and unkind" for failing to explain to Baby A's mother that she had assessed that her child was beyond help.

"No. I don't accept that," she said. "I am a kind person."

'Everyone was panicking'

The court earlier heard from other inmates who revealed the panic that spread in the unit that night.

'Alice' testified that she was the first to hear Baby A's mother scream for help.

"Baby's not breathing," the desperate mum reportedly shouted.

Alice testified that she tried to get help by calling guards, who responded that they would have to wait before eventually cutting the line.

The inquest heard that Baby A was spotted lying alone on her mother's bed hours before she died, against prison rules that specify babies must sleep in a cot.

Baby's A mother denied the claim, saying her daughter was sleeping in a cot.

Alice claimed the rule was often ignored after 7pm, when the mothers were locked inside the unit.

Women live together in groups inside the facility. Photo / Nine

Another inmate, 'Beth', testified that the women pleaded with the guards to open the door to the unit, asking them to "open the f***ing door".

"Everyone was panicking," she said.

"They said they needed permission to open up," Alice testified.

As other inmates made their desperate pleas, one took action and attempted CPR as guards looked on.

"My maternal instincts kicked in," 'Donna' said.

"All of the other mums were just standing around."

Donna revealed that she feared Baby A was already dead when she began CPR.

"There was no life. She felt like a rubber doll ... I could see the baby was gone. It was too late."

The inquest continues.