An Aboriginal man who died in a Victorian prison reported having stomach pains on the morning of his death, a coroners court has been told.
Gunditjmara and Wiradjuri man Clinton Austin died at Loddon Prison in central Victoria on September 11 this year.
The 38-year-old went to the prison's medical centre about 8am that day for his usual supervised methadone treatment, a directions hearing into his death at the Coroners Court in Melbourne on Friday was told.
Clinton told the nurse he had stomach pains and diarrhoea so he was given hydrolyte.
Over the next few hours, he left his cell twice but continued to complain of symptoms to another prisoner.
When guards went to check on him at 12.01pm, Clinton was found slumped and unresponsive on his bed.
A code black was called immediately and guards started CPR.
Paramedics arrived at 12.14pm and took over CPR two minutes later, but Clinton was declared dead at 12.56pm.
There was no preliminary cause of death as the autopsy and toxicology reports were yet to be completed, counsel assisting the coroner Kelly Kandelaars said.
Clinton was transferred to Loddon Prison on August 22 after spending more than two-and-a-half years in custody, the court was told.
The coroner will look at why he was still in prison after already serving his two-year non-parole period for an aggravated burglary.
The investigation will also look at CCTV footage of his final days, the response of staff during the code black, and the 38-year-old's medical and prison records.
A brief of evidence will be handed to the coroner by February 1 next year, with the coroner to then decide the next steps.
Clinton was a proud father and artist who had a big heart, his family told the court through their lawyer.
There are still many unanswered questions about Clinton's death but the family appreciates it will take some time to gather the evidence, the lawyer said.
