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AAP
AAP
National
Luke Costin

No 'smoking gun' for gran's tasering cover-up: minister

Clare Nowland died after she was tasered by a police officer in her Cooma aged care home. (HANDOUT/SUPPLIED)

The NSW police minister insists no "smoking gun" exists over the fatal tasering of a 95-year-old grandmother amid renewed allegations of a government cover-up.

Clare Nowland died after she was stunned by an officer in her Cooma aged care home on May 17, prompting charges against the senior constable and criticism of police for not revealing the presence of the Taser for 36 hours.

Previous claims that the delay was needed to inform Mrs Nowland's family were undermined by an internal police document released on Wednesday showing the senior next-of-kin was informed by midday on May 17.

Police Minister Yasmin Catley
Police Minister Yasmin Catley has rejected suggestions she misled parliament over the incident. (Dan Himbrechts/AAP PHOTOS)

But Police Minister Yasmin Catley on Thursday rejected an opposition suggestion she had misled parliament.

"You are trying to find a smoking gun and it does not exist," she said in Question Time.

"There is no cover-up.

"Do you honestly believe that a 95-year-old woman tasered in a nursing home, in a public facility, in front of witnesses, taken to a public hospital, could have been covered up?"

The document, released under parliamentary order, details that officers, instructed by the local commander, liaised with Mrs Nowland's senior next-of-kin from the morning of May 17.

The commander later arrived, hearing family concern that they did not want to speak to or have details of the incident released to the media.

About 3pm on May 18, the investigation team met with the senior next-of-kin.

That timeline jars with prior statements by Ms Catley and Police Commissioner Karen Webb, who claimed the delay in publicising the use of a Taser until May 19 was because family had to be informed.

AAP previously revealed police removed any mention of paramedics, a knife and a Taser in their first statement issued on the afternoon of May 17.

Asked on Thursday why the May 17 press release did not mention tasering, Ms Catley said she had already answered that question.

Ms Webb on Wednesday refused to engage with questions about the newly released document.

The opposition repeated its calls for the minister's sacking, adding that the "smoking guns" were probably contained in internal documents the minister's office had refused to release under Freedom of Information laws.

"The privacy commissioner clearly says that there is information that has been redacted that didn't need to be," police spokesman Paul Toole said.

"Why can't (the minister) be upfront with the public straightaway on this particular matter? Why are we still talking about it months later?"

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