Australia - 3 dead after eating wild mushrooms, Leongatha, Victoria, Aug 2023 #13 *Arrest*

[MrJ]

Because she bought 1.75kg of button mushrooms from Woolworths in the days leading up to the lunch. So that she accounts for all those mushrooms she bought but didn't use in the Beef Wellington meal.

It's so funny that she can remember that but not where she bought the mushrooms from

 

[MsMarple]

2m ago13.19 AEST
Rogers says Patterson “blitzed the death cap mushrooms in a powder to hide them” in the beef wellingtons.

“Disagree,” Patterson says.

Rogers says this is similar to her hiding powdered mushrooms in food she gave her daughter to see if she noticed them.

Patterson says she did this once.

 

[JBowie]

I'm not sure if it's a strategy to jump between topics to overwhelm the accused, but I dislike it. I wish they followed one theme to conclusion of a 'gotcha' before moving on. It's confusing, IMO.

But are we getting a full transcript, or just bits that reporters/editors choose to include?

 

[MsMarple]

4m ago04.24 BST
The jurors have been sent out of the court room for a slightly earlier lunch break.

Patterson’s cross-examination will resume from 2.15pm.

 

[Jess D]

She must have deliberately bought 1.75kg of mushrooms in total and either eaten 1kg or used them to make a trial run, so that she could say that she needed to use the dried mushrooms to make up the 1kg required for the recipe. This woman has meticulously planned the lead up to the lunch, even if she didn't plan the aftermath very well.

 

[Bats]

DBM

 

[browneyes]

I'm not sure - saying "my kids ate the extra steaks I purchased but didn't cook on the day" isn't an indication of prior knowledge. That sounds very reasonable.

Which is why it's damning that she didn't say that.

Her claims the kids ate the same meal can only be for the purpose of saying "See? it definitely didn't contain deathcaps". It's plausible deniability. IMO

I agree. When you have to make your answers fit your narrative, sometimes you can over complicate them.
I also agree about skipping around making me a bit nuts, but I assume the prosecutor has a reason. I guess it’s easier to trip Erin up on her non-truths.

 

[Jess D]

I'm not sure - saying "my kids ate the extra steaks I purchased but didn't cook on the day" isn't an indication of prior knowledge. That sounds very reasonable.

Which is why it's damning that she didn't say that.

Her claims the kids ate the same meal can only be for the purpose of saying "See? it definitely didn't contain deathcaps". It's plausible deniability. IMO

Even though she now acknowledges that her meal did in fact contain Death Caps.

 

[Scooby-Doo]

She can't remember the Asian shop she purchased the mushrooms, but had previously bought a variety of mushrooms - shitake, porcini, enoki - from similar stores, she said.

Other times, she'd purchased "wild mushroom mix" or "forest mushrooms," which didn't specify exact contents.

Ok, Erin, give me the names of the other asian stores that you have purchased from before????

 

[Jess D]

Because she bought 1.75kg of button mushrooms from Woolworths in the days leading up to the lunch. So that she accounts for all those mushrooms she bought but didn't use in the Beef Wellington meal.

Exactly, but in reality she wouldn't have eaten 1kg of the mushrooms she purchased from Woollies on the 23rd July, she would have used them in her Beef Wellington recipe.

 

[Kemug]

Where are you, MassGuy? You're missing a real spectacle here!

 

[browneyes]

FFS

Key Event
Just now
More questions on leftovers fed to Erin's children

By Joseph Dunstan and Mikaela Ortolan

Ms Patterson is questioned over why she served leftovers from the lunch to her children if she was aware it had made some of the lunch guests unwell.

Dr Rogers: "I suggest that you told well over a dozen people, including your son and daughter, health professionals, child protection workers, police and a friend, that you had fed your children the same meal that you had served at lunch."

Ms Patterson: "I was pretty clear that it was the meal, minus the mushrooms and pastry."

Dr Rogers: "But isn't it the fact that on Sunday, the 30th of July, you found out that at least Don and Gail were unwell?"

Ms Patterson: "Yes I did find out about that."

Dr Rogers: "So why did you proceed to feed the same meal to your children when you knew, or suspected, that the meal that you'd served had made them ill?"

Ms Patterson: "I didn't know or suspect that."

The court is then shown a transcript of Ms Patterson's son's interview, where he told police that Ms Patterson told him that his grandparents were unwell and she suspected it might've been the Saturday lunch.

"I think he's confused, I didn't say that to him on the Sunday. And it's not clear when he's saying that I said that to him," she says, adding that there were further conversations at hospital on the matter.

Dr Rogers: "So is it your evidence that he's wrong about that aspect of his evidence?"

Patterson: "No, I think that it's not clear from his evidence when he's saying I said that to him."

Ok, Erin is contradicting herself and her son here. The jurors heads must be spinning.
I have to say that I detest how flat and monotone Erin’s answers are. It’s like, oh another lunch, 3 family members died, one barely made it, but the kids and I are fine…damn that Simon for not showing up. I’m so bored with this.
I just want to smack her into reality.

 

[browneyes]

Wow I’d almost say the prosecution is actually stumbling here. Specially by getting prime dates wrong and also filling in transcript to suit their accusations as opposed relevant clear gotchas.
Erin’s ability to deflect every question with an answer that has possibility is quite intriguing

I don’t know, unless that date was significant over 2 years ago, I wouldn’t remember what day of the week it was. But Erin remembers. It was significant to her.

 

[SouthAussie]

I don’t know, unless that date was significant over 2 years ago, I wouldn’t remember what day of the week it was. But Erin remembers. It was significant to her.

And it clearly shows the jury that Erin's memory is just fine. Which might have been the intention of the slip.

imo

 

[Scooby-Doo]

Wow I’d almost say the prosecution is actually stumbling here. Specially by getting prime dates wrong and also filling in transcript to suit their accusations as opposed relevant clear gotchas.
Erin’s ability to deflect every question with an answer that has possibility is quite intriguing

I hope the jury takes note that Erin remembers well, when she wants to

 

[Shortfusepsb]

And it clearly shows the jury that Erin's memory is just fine. Which might have been the intention of the slip.

imo

The "error" was not a mistake. It was very deliberate. There is a trap to be sprung there... Patience.

 

[JBowie]

I hope the jury takes note that Erin remembers well, when she wants to

... and I trust that Dr Rogers will remind the jury of that behaviour in her summing up.

 

[lazymaiden07]

Again, only admitting to evidence where she cannot deny it. The purchase has been proven, can't deny it. Denies everything else. Exhausting.

I was thinking the exact same thing- had the dehydrator never been located, there's no chance in hell she would admit to owning one. She took her chance on the Subway, denying that despite video footage. It's only when unequivocal evidence is being presented, she is in agreeance.

The "error" was not a mistake. It was very deliberate. There is a trap to be sprung there... Patience.

Greatttt pickup. I thought it so weird that someone of Dr Rogers' calibre would have made such a basic error??

 

[SouthAussie]

It sounds as if Ian is at the court every day. Again The Australian is reporting that Ian has been watching in court as Erin gives her evidence.

Perhaps bearing witness for the deaths of his wife, brother-in-law, and sister-in-law.

imo

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/mushroom-trial-accused-erin-patterson-denies-panic-after-doctors-suspected-death-caps-in-illnesses/live-coverage/62513e044c43f3492a4a58bd11614f4d?amp

 

[Scooby-Doo]

Patterson says she was short of beef wellington ingredient after eating a ‘kilo of mushrooms’ in the days leading up to the lunch​

Patterson was questioned about messages she sent to Facebook friends asking for tips on how to cook a beef wellington.

Rogers noted Patterson did not tell her friends she was using dried or foraged mushrooms in the meal.

Patterson: “I didn’t tell them everything I did with every meal that I prepared in my house.”

Rogers:“I suggest your only plan for the beef Wellington was to ensure that the death cap mushrooms were added, correct or incorrect?”

Patterson: “Incorrect.”

Rogers told Patterson her evidence was she used individual eye steaks, rather than an individual steak log that the recipe required, because she could not find one.

Patterson agreed.

Rogers suggested Patterson lied and that she could have purchased a steak log from other supermarkets or butcher stores.

Patterson disagreed.

Rogers showed Patterson pictures of the recipe book located at her Leongatha Home.

Rogers: “Your evidence is you used this recipe?

Patterson: “I did use it.”

Rogers: “I suggest the recipe is for a single piece of meat?”

Patterson: “Yes.”

Rogers: “I have already suggested to you that the individual beef wellingtons would allow you to include death caps in mushrooms in your guests

Rogers: “This recipe calls for 700grams of sliced mushrooms.

Patterson: “It does.”

Rogers: “At the top of the page, it serves six to eight people.”

Patterson: “It does.

Rogers: “You purchased 1kg of mushrooms on the 23rd of July from Woolworths then you purchased 750g of mushrooms on the 27th of July.

Patterson: “Correct.”

Rogers: “So you had 1.75kg of button mushrooms when you cooked the meal?”

Patterson: “Incorrect.”

Rogers: “How much did you have?”

Patterson: “750grams.”

Rogers: “Where did the other kilo go?”

Patterson: “I ate them.”

Rogers: “Between the 23rd of July and 27th of July?”

Patterson: “Correct.”

Rogers asked if she had previously told that to the jury, and Patterson said she didn’t know.

Rogers suggested that was an untruth, and Patterson said no.

Rogers said the amount of mushrooms she purchased on those days were more than the recipe called for and she didn’t have a need to buy additional mushrooms.

Rogers noted Patterson told a child protection worker there was an unpleasant smell to the mushrooms she used.

She also noted Dr Thomas May previously gave evidence that death cap mushrooms would have an unpleasant smell