Ex-Police Officer Who Fatally Tasered Clare Nowland Drops Bid to Rejoin Force

Former NSW police officer Kristian White has abandoned his attempt to overturn his dismissal from the force after being convicted of manslaughter over the death of 95-year-old Clare Nowland.

White was called to Cooma's Yallambee Lodge aged care facility in May 2023, where Ms Nowland - who used a four-wheeled walker - had been wandering with two kitchen knives. She was in the nurses' office holding one knife when police and paramedics urged her to put it down.

White responded, "bugger it," before firing his taser. Ms Nowland fell, struck her head, and died a week later.

In November last year, a jury found White guilty of manslaughter. The following month, he was removed from the police force. He was sentenced to a two-year community correction order and 425 hours of community service - a penalty the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) unsuccessfully argued was too lenient.

White had lodged an application with the Industrial Relations Commission seeking to have his dismissal reviewed, but the case was discontinued ahead of a scheduled conciliation hearing on Tuesday, closing the matter.

The Court of Criminal Appeal, while describing the sentence as "lenient," found no error in the original decision, noting the "exceptional circumstances" of the case meant a custodial sentence was not mandatory. The court cited White's "strong" personal circumstances, including losing his job and being unable to remain in his local community.

The Nowland family has expressed disappointment with both the sentence and the failed appeal, saying they are still "struggling to come to terms" with the outcome. White had already completed 120 hours of his community service by the time of the DPP appeal hearing in June.