A prison officer has pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter of an Indigenous inmate who was shot dead while trying to escape from a northern NSW hospital.
The accused, referred to as Officer A, was arraigned in the NSW Supreme Court on Friday, when he pleaded not guilty to unlawfully killing Dwayne Johnstone.
Justice Robert Allan Hulme, who was told the case was "difficult and novel", set the trial down for October 10.
It's estimated to run for three weeks.
The 43-year-old Wiradjuri man died after being shot at Lismore Base Hospital on March 15, 2019.
Police previously said he was attempting to escape the facility, where he had been taken for medical treatment after earlier being remanded in custody on assault charges.
Mr Johnstone was handcuffed and shackled when he allegedly elbowed a Corrective Services officer and ran off outside the hospital.
An inquest in October 2020 heard Mr Johnstone was able to run quickly despite having his wrists and ankles shackled.
Officer A, then aged 57, was charged with manslaughter in February 2021.
