Australia - 3 dead after eating wild mushrooms, Leongatha, Victoria, Aug 2023 #10 *Arrest*

[MsMarple]

1m ago

Details of the plates​

By Joseph Dunstan​

The court is shown the photos of plates in the dishwasher again, which Sergeant Farrell agrees includes smaller and larger plates.

From left to right, we see a large white plate, a similarly large plate that is red on top and black on the bottom, then a smaller version of that red-and-black plate.

Three more plates sit beside it, including two in the middle where Sergeant Farrell says it's harder to tell the exact colour on the back.

 

[MsMarple]

1m ago

Detective asked to clarify the plates​

By Joseph Dunstan​

The court is now shown a photo of different plates, stacked in a drawer.

At the back of the drawer are four black-coloured plates. The bottom two appear to have a red surface on the top of them (or the "eating surface" as Sergeant Farrell dubs it).

The bottom one has a small chip on the edge.

Mr Mandy puts to Sergeant Farrell that the plates are "side plates, not dinner plates". The detective says it's hard to say without anything there for comparison.

We're reminded that these photos are stills from the video taken by a videographer moving through the scene.

Sergeant Farrell is not aware of any more detailed footage being captured showing these plates.

 

[MsMarple]

Key Event
1m ago

Erin appears unaware of death​

By Melissa Brown​

Mr Mandy reads out part of a transcript from Sergeant Farrell's conversation with Erin at the start of the search.

Sergeant Farrell explains why the police are there including that it related to a death.

Mr Mandy says Erin replied "Who died?"

He then finishes questioning the detective who leaves the witness stand.

The court now breaks for lunch.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

“It was not very clear at that time if she had or had not used them,” Atkinson said.

“At that time, it sounded like she was giving two conflicting pieces of information.”

Atkinson agreed with suggestions from Mandy that Patterson did mention Glen Waverley but maintained this wasn’t until later, on August 2, 2023.

The witness was also shown photographs that a Monash City Council worker had sent to her during his search of the first three suburbs.

One, she agreed, was consistent with Patterson’s description of what she’d bought - not commercially packaged mushrooms in a clear bag with a handwritten white label on it.

But Atkinson said this was smaller than the 100 gram estimate the accused had given her, at 50 grams, and later found to be a different colour, a darker brown than Patterson had said.

“Apart from the size [and colour], everything else matches?” Mandy asked.

“Yes,” Atkinson replied

Erin Patterson was ‘unclear’ about whether she had used same mushrooms in previous dish

The alleged killer cook ‘sounded like she was giving conflicting information’ on whether she had used the same dried mushrooms in an earlier dish before using them in the fatal beef Wellington, a witness says.

www.watoday.com.au

 

[Megnut]

How much BW was found in the trash?

Just half of the one Erin didn't finish or was it a full one plus her half?

 

[Megnut]

If four adults died...

Would we have known they were individual BWs?

We wouldn't have known:

That Erin said she had ovarian cancer that apparently migrated to her elbow.

That there were different colored plates.

What else?

 

[katydid23]

Yes! This has been my question all along. A fancy, traditional beef wellington, with it's many steps and layers, is indeed a "special meal". Individual pies, less impressive, and you wouldn't follow a specific beef wellington recipe for them.

Why would you not just say you used the recipe as inspiration or a guide instead? Have a good reason why you chose individual servings? Despite making individual servings, and knowing the amount of guests, give or take 1, you still made the extras for your kids with mushrooms, despite later having to scrape the mushrooms off as they don't like them?

I'm not sure if I'm "normal" or not, but if I chose to make individual pies for myself and my guests, I'd make 1 for each intended guest including Simon, then with whatever was left over I'd make serves for my kids without mushrooms. Whatever scraps if meat leftover may go to the dog.

I've always felt it was kind of incriminating that her big Labrador was not feeling sick too.

I've had Labradors and German Shepherds. If I was making a beef dish to feed 6 people, my dog is getting lots of yummy meat scraps that night for sure.

 

[MsMarple]

13m ago

Mushroom Case Daily podcast​

By Melissa Brown​

If you'd rather listen to a podcast to bring you up to speed on the trial, here's the lastest episode of the Mushroom Case Daily.

The ABC's court reporter Kristian Silva and producer Stephen Stockwell bring you all the latest from the Latrobe Valley Law Courts each day.

They can also answer your questions in future episodes if you contact them via [email protected].

Tracking down the mushroom source - ABC listen​

Video of Erin Patterson's police interview played to murder trial jury — as it happened

Erin Patterson has pleaded not guilty to murdering her estranged husband's parents and his aunt by feeding them poisonous death cap mushrooms in July 2023. Follow the evidence as it happened.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Lisa4]

Yes! This has been my question all along. A fancy, traditional beef wellington, with it's many steps and layers, is indeed a "special meal". Individual pies, less impressive, and you wouldn't follow a specific beef wellington recipe for them.

Why would you not just say you used the recipe as inspiration or a guide instead? Have a good reason why you chose individual servings? Despite making individual servings, and knowing the amount of guests, give or take 1, you still made the extras for your kids with mushrooms, despite later having to scrape the mushrooms off as they don't like them?

I'm not sure if I'm "normal" or not, but if I chose to make individual pies for myself and my guests, I'd make 1 for each intended guest including Simon, then with whatever was left over I'd make serves for my kids without mushrooms. Whatever scraps if meat leftover may go to the dog.

And what’s up with mixing different pastries, including some phyllo dough?

Ms Atkinson says she contacted Erin again to ask what type of pastry she'd used.

She says Erin responded that she used a combination of Pampas puffed pastry - leftovers in her freezer and a new package purchased from Woolworths.

She then followed up with a text saying she also used filo pastry.

Erin Patterson wanted to make 'fancy' meal for lunch guests, trial told — as it happened

Erin Patterson's triple murder trial continues from Morwell. She is charged with murdering three relatives who ate a meal she prepared which contained death cap mushrooms. Follow the trial live.

www.abc.net.au

Discount meat, combining different pastry doughs, no mention of prosciutto or crepes. And packet gravy instead of a red wine reduction (any alcohol would have burnt off in the cooking).

I’m also a great cook and Erin’s approach to the Wellingtons was always a little weird to me. I know some restaurants (Gordon Ramsay is famous for it) specialize in single portions but there’s no need to bother in a family meal setting. A slice can go into the oven for a few minutes if someone prefers well done meat. JMO

Maybe daughter was coached to say she was a good cook... after all, simply discussing recipes is no proof that one is a great cook.

If so, could this explain a few points? The odd mixing of pastries, and the apparent lack of prosciutto and crepes that are key in the RT recipe...

But then it has me thinking, if you go down the path of her not being a good cook, then why beef wellingtons at all? For that matter, why even a dinner at all..

Whenever you try to explain anything away, you end up down a rabbit warren of dead ends.

On the other hand... every piece falls into place when you look at it through the lens of deliberate intent.

IMO

 

[Deleted member 363451]

The way the defense is harping on the Asian store mushrooms makes me believe that they will claim that Erin didn't lie about shopping there.

I think they may say the mushrooms she foraged and dried were confused with the Asian store mushrooms. Maybe they got mixed together somehow. Of course, it still doesn't explain a lot--like how Erin didn't get sick--but from a defense perspective it would help neutralize the prosecution's claim of intent.

I agree.

 

[MsMarple]

Maybe daughter was coached to say she was a good cook... after all, simply discussing recipes is no proof that one is a great cook.

If so, could this explain a few points? The odd mixing of pastries, and the apparent lack of prosciutto and crepes that are key in the RT recipe...

But then it has me thinking, if you go down the path of her not being a good cook, then why beef wellingtons at all? For that matter, why even a dinner at all..

Whenever you try to explain anything away, you end up down a rabbit warren of dead ends.

On the other hand... every piece falls into place when you look at it through the lens of deliberate intent.

IMO

Yeah it’s hard to tell. Of course even a mediocre beef Wellington would taste pretty darn good IMO. Beef tenderloin, yum!

 

[Deleted member 363451]

Key Event
1m ago

Bag of dried mushrooms found similar to Erin's description​

By Melissa Brown​

Mr Mandy brings up notes from a health department meeting in which one of her colleagues mentions that someone had gone into an Oakleigh store and found small bags of dried mushrooms with no label.

Ms Atkinson agrees she followed that up with Erin and Erin confirmed that that was the style of packaging that she meant when she provided her description.

Key Event
4m ago

Mt Waverley or Glen Waverley?​

By Melissa Brown​

They're now talking about whether Erin told Ms Atkinson she may have bought the mushrooms in Mt Waverley or whether she said Glen Waverley.

The two suburbs are side-by-side in Melbourne's south east.

Mr Mandy asks whether Ms Atkinson contacted the council when Erin changed the location to Glen Waverley.

She says she did, and also mentioned "Kingsway" as a street name Erin mentioned.

The defence makes comment that Kingsway is a street in Glen Waverley that has Asian grocers along it.

Mr Mandy is now pressing her on whether she asked the council officer to go and look at shops on Glen Waverley.

She says she doesn't know what the officer did with the new information.

Key Event
8m ago

Court shown photo of a packet of mushrooms​

By Melissa Brown and Joseph Dunstan​

They're now talking about information Erin provided Ms Atkinson about the mushroom packaging and what they looked like.

Mr Mandy reminds her of her evidence this morning that as far as she was concerned, there were no mushrooms found by the council at any Asian stores matching the description Erin gave her.

The court is shown a photo of what appear to be dried, dark-coloured mushrooms in individual clear plastic bags, sitting in a box on a shelf.

A white label on each bag reads "Black fungus 50g $3.99".

Ms Atkinson agrees it did match Erin's description but says she believes it would be a larger size than the packet that Erin says she bought.

She says Erin later explained the mushrooms were not dark brown in colour.

Does anyone else think of Erin Patterson when they see mushrooms or mushroom products at the supermarket now, or is it just me?

 

[katydid23]

1m ago

More of Ms Atkinson's evidence questioned​

By Melissa Brown​

They're now going through more texts from the following two days.

Ms Atkinson agrees she knew "there was a lot going on" for Erin at the time.

They talk about a 19 minute phone call between Ms Atkinson and Erin, and she agrees Erin answered all of her questions that day.

Mr Mandy takes Ms Atkinson to her efforts to try to help Erin remember where the Asian store was. They go back through what Ms Atkinson said to court yesterday.

I'm confused about that^^ point by Mandy. He wants to applaud EP's efforts to try and help by remembering where the Asian store was? If thy are conceding that was a lie, then all she was really doing was wasting everyone's precious time, and not helping anyone. Sh was just prolonging the deceit.

He suggests she didn't make any reference to driving around 'that' day but was talking in general, but Ms Atkinson insists she did specify the day.

I doubt that the public health investigator was going to make a mistake like that. IMO

 

[MsMarple]

Key Event
1m ago

Lunch break ends and new witness called​

By Mikaela Ortolan​

The jurors have returned from their lunch break. It went for a little longer than expected with some legal issues to sort through.

Before the break we heard from Detective Sergeant Luke Farrell who is attached to the Homicide Squad.

The court was shown a series of photographs including of plates found at Erin's home and a food dehydrator manual also found at her home.

Part of a transcript was read out to jurors.

The court heard it was in a conversatio between Sergeant Farrell and Erin during the search of her Leongatha home where she appeared to be surprised when she learned of a death following the lunch.

We'll now hear from Detective Leading Senior Constable Stephen Eppingstall who is the police informant in this case

 

[Scooby-Doo]

Key Event
1m ago

Lunch break ends and new witness called​

By Mikaela Ortolan​

The jurors have returned from their lunch break. It went for a little longer than expected with some legal issues to sort through.

Before the break we heard from Detective Sergeant Luke Farrell who is attached to the Homicide Squad.

The court was shown a series of photographs including of plates found at Erin's home and a food dehydrator manual also found at her home.

Part of a transcript was read out to jurors.

The court heard it was in a conversatio between Sergeant Farrell and Erin during the search of her Leongatha home where she appeared to be surprised when she learned of a death following the lunch.

We'll now hear from Detective Leading Senior Constable Stephen Eppingstall who is the police informant in this case

This will be interesting...

 

[JLZ]

Did she actually specifically refer to using the Recipe Tin BW recipe? I was unaware she had. I made the connection earlier that she very likely had the book, but if she actually referred to the BW recipe, it is even more suspicious. Because really, what was her reason for not following it to make the one complete BW? I cannot think of a single valid, innocent reason.

Can you buy whole eye fillets at the supermarket? She might well have had trouble finding a sufficiently large single fillet if she left it to the last minute and wasn't even at a butcher shop. It's a passable cover story at least.

 

[MsMarple]

1m ago

Homicide Squad detective explains why they took on the case​

By Mikaela Ortolan​

LSC Eppingstall is answering questions from prosecutor Jane Warren.

She's taking him back to the start of his investigation. He says he became involved in the case on August 3, 2023 when a lunch guest had become fatally ill.

"People think we [the Homicide Squad] only deal with murders," he tells the court.

"That's not necessarily true ... we're also coronial investigators on behalf of the coroner so we'll take on complex death investigations that might be too big for local units.

"We took it on in that capacity initially."

 

[MsMarple]

1m ago

Police inform Erin of deaths​

By Mikaela Ortolan​

We heard from Sergeant Farrell earlier who told the court he informed Erin that two people had passed away while he was carrying out a search warrant at her Leongatha home.

He told the court she appeared to be surprised by the news and asked "Who died?"

LSC Eppingstall says following that conversation he then stepped in and spoke with Erin.

He says he told her Heather Wilkinson and Gail Patterson had passed away.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Photos were shown to the court of the various items seized, including the manual for a Sunbeam food dehydrator and a copy of the RecipeTin Eats "Dinner" cookbook by Nagi Maehashi.

Sergeant Farrell told the court the page for a beef Wellington recipe in the cookbook had food spatter on it

Police say Erin Patterson 'expressed surprise' at mushroom deaths

A Supreme Court trial has heard the details of a police search at accused killer Erin Patterson's home in the days after a deadly lunch.

www.abc.net.au

 

[MsMarple]

1m ago

We revisit the cookbook​

By Mikaela Ortolan and Joseph Dunstan​

We're now taken to the RecipeTin Eats cookbook which was found on Erin's bench inside her home.

"It was a general discussion, but the beef Wellington came up, she explained to me that she'd used the RecipeTin Eats cookbook that was in the kitchen," LSC Eppingstall says.

There's a moment taken in the court to explain RecipeTin Eats to Justice Beale, who appears to be unfamiliar with the highly popular Australian cookbook author Nagi Maehashi

The court is shown several pages, including one with a grid of photos outlining the separate steps involved in preparing the beef filling and encasing it in pastry.

On the final page is a photo of the final product, a golden-brown loaf of pastry.