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

[drsleuth]

4.15pm

Family member at hospital when accused was told she could go home​

By​

The day after Erin Patterson was admitted to Monash Medical Centre, she received a message from Tanya Patterson, the sister-in-law of Erin’s estranged husband, Simon.

Prosecutor Nanette Rogers, SC, has taken Erin Patterson to Tanya’s evidence from earlier in the trial, during which the court heard Tanya sent a message on August 1, 2023 asking how Erin was and offering to visit her in hospital.

Tanya previously said in court that Erin told her she felt nauseous, dizzy and tired. Tanya recalled to the court that when she visited the hospital, she was told by hospital staff there was no Erin Patterson there.

“I called Erin and she came out of the room and she said, ‘I’m here’ and I went in,” Tanya told the court during her evidence last month.

In her evidence, Tanya said she had told Erin at the hospital that she did not know the latest news about the health of the lunch guests, and that Erin Patterson indicated that she knew that Don and Gail Patterson were in a coma.

Tanya recounted to the court a discussion about Erin Patterson’s health, and that she hadn’t slept much in the hospital due to the noise, and that she was awaiting a blood test to see if she was well enough to go home.

In her evidence, Tanya said that while she was visiting Erin, a toxicologist came in to give Erin her blood results. Tanya said she overheard the toxicologist telling Erin that she was fine to go home, and her potassium levels weren’t as low as would be expected for someone who had experienced diarrhoea.

“I don’t remember her saying that,” Erin Patterson told the jury today.

As it happened: Prosecutor suggests accused mushroom cook wanted to appear unwell after beef Wellington lunch - Erin Patterson trial day 29

Accused killer Erin Patterson has spent another full day in witness box during her triple murder trial. She has pleaded not guilty to three charges of murder and one of attempted murder.

www.theage.com.au

 

[LinasK]

Oooh this is intriguing.

Is Dr Roger’s suggesting here that the meat was the tainted part of the meal? Did she marinate the meat in DC powder perhaps and not put the death caps in the duxelle?

I think she's establishing that the beef Erin fed her children was not poisoned. Either it was her portion, or more likely separate steak she cooked for them.

 

[Detechtive]

I think she's establishing that the beef Erin fed her children was not poisoned. Either it was her portion, or more likely separate steak she cooked for them.

I am wondering though why the implication is that the full beef Wellington cut in half had the steak removed

 

[drsleuth]

16:21

Patterson claims kids ate steak from Wellingtons​

Dr Rogers suggested Patterson made a death cap-laced beef Wellington for Simon which she threw in the bin sometime after the lunch guests left at 2.45pm and before she represented at Leongatha Hospital at 9.45am.
The jury heard Patterson told police the leftovers from the lunch were in an outside bin at the property.
Dr Rogers suggested police retrieved a Wellington cut in half.
'I disagree,' Patterson said.
'[In the bin was] mushrooms and pastry from one full one and the mushrooms and pastry from [mine],' the accused said.
Patterson denied she was aware the binned leftovers contained death cap mushrooms.
Patterson also denied preparing a death cap-laced beef Wellington and she denied preparing a Wellington for Simon.
'I didn't make that sixth one for Simon,' she said.
Patterson said she prepared a sixth Wellington as a spare and threw it in the bin.
Dr Rogers asked what happened to the steak which had been prepared for the Wellingtons.
Patterson said she removed the steak and put it in 'my children's stomachs'.
Dr Rogers suggested Patterson didn't feed them that steak.

Erin Patterson mushroom murder trial LIVE updates

Follow Daily Mail Australia's live coverage of accused mushroom chef Erin Patterson's murder trial here.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[drsleuth]

https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/courts-law/erin-patterson-trial-mushroom-cook-continues-giving-evidence-at-triplemurder-trial-over-fatal-beef-wellington-lunch/news-story/9bb93957852c1ddfea255f980d54d1ab

After the trial resumed at 10.30am, Dr Rogers immediately began to question the accused woman on evidence she gave last week about having an appointment for a gastric bypass surgery appointment in September 2023.

On Friday, Ms Patterson said messages sent to her estranged husband Simon Patterson a day before the fatal lunch on July 29, 2023, referred medical issues she was dealing with.

“I was going to have surgery soon … the gastric bypass surgery,” she said.

She said she had an appointment at the Enrich Clinic for a pre-surgery appointment.

On Tuesday, Dr Rogers asked if the appointment was for the South Yarra clinic at 11am on September 13, 2023, which Ms Patterson agreed.

“The Enrich clinic offers services in dermatology, agree or disagree?” Dr Rogers asked.

“I don’t know,” Ms Patterson responded.

“The Enrich clinic does not offer gastric bypass or gastric sleeve surgery?” Dr Rogers continued.

“I don’t know,” she responded again.

“I had an appointment with them and that’s what my memory was for so I’m a bit puzzled.”

Dr Rogers suggested the claim was a lie and the booking had nothing to do with a gastric bypass surgery.

Ms Patterson disputed this, suggesting the appointment was related to weight loss and could have been liposuction.

“No it wasn’t a lie that’s what my memory was,” she said.

 

[drsleuth]

4.23pm

‘I may have been confused’: The questions about the hours after lunch​

By​

Erin Patterson has told her trial she couldn’t remember having diarrhoea at the time she drove her son’s friend home in the hours after the fatal lunch.

During her cross-examination, Patterson conceded to prosecutor Nanette Rogers, SC, that she might have been confused when she told officials that she was worried about having an accident as he drove on the evening of July 29, 2023.

“I don’t know if I said it or not. But I may have. And I may have been confused about how I felt on Sunday [July 30, 2023],” Patterson told the jury.

“I had had a lot of people ask me the same questions over and over and I felt unwell and I felt anxious and I was feeling confused and stressed. I was doing my best to answer everyone’s questions, but I may have gotten things wrong along the way.”

Here is some of the exchange between Rogers and Patterson:

Rogers: Your evidence is that you had some diarrhoea on Saturday evening.

Patterson: That’s correct.

Rogers: Your evidence is that you wouldn’t have taken [your son’s friend] home if you felt you were going to have diarrhoea.

Patterson: I didn’t say that.

Rogers: Was it your evidence that you didn’t have diarrhoea and that’s why you took [the boy] home?

Patterson: No, I took [the boy] home because he needed to get home.

Rogers: Wasn’t it your evidence that you did not have diarrhoea when you took [the boy] home?

Patterson: Correct.

Rogers: Is it your evidence you had diarrhoea before you took [the boy] home?

Patterson: No.

Rogers: When was the first time in your evidence that you had diarrhoea on July 29, 2023?

Patterson: Late in the evening.

Rogers: How late?

Patterson: I’m not sure what time.”

4.29pm

Prosecutor suggests Patterson wanted to appear ill after beef Wellington​

By​

Erin Patterson has denied suggestions by prosecutor Nanette Rogers, SC, that the reason the accused woman told her estranged husband, Simon, and medical staff that she was unwell was because she wanted to appear as though she was also unwell after consuming the beef Wellington lunch.

Rogers said there was evidence from Professor Andrew Bersten that blood samples taken from Patterson at Leongatha Hospital sometime before midday on July 31, 2023 showed almost all of her results within the reference range.

Bersten’s evidence was that the results showed no evidence of liver injury, Rogers told the court.

Rogers: I suggest you were not seriously unwell because you did not consume even a minute amount of death cap mushrooms at the lunch. What do you say?

Patterson: I have no idea if I did or I didn’t.

Rogers: You were not suffering from death cap mushroom poisoning.

Patterson: Incorrect.

Rogers: You deliberately tried to make it look like you were.

Patterson: Incorrect.

Rogers: You did that because you knew you had not eaten death cap mushrooms and you knew how suspicious it would look if you did not seem sick like your guests.

Patterson: Incorrect.”

As it happened: Prosecutor suggests accused mushroom cook wanted to appear unwell after beef Wellington lunch - Erin Patterson trial day 29

Accused killer Erin Patterson has spent another full day in witness box during her triple murder trial. She has pleaded not guilty to three charges of murder and one of attempted murder.

www.theage.com.au

 

[MsMarple]

https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/courts-law/erin-patterson-trial-mushroom-cook-continues-giving-evidence-at-triplemurder-trial-over-fatal-beef-wellington-lunch/news-story/9bb93957852c1ddfea255f980d54d1ab

After the trial resumed at 10.30am, Dr Rogers immediately began to question the accused woman on evidence she gave last week about having an appointment for a gastric bypass surgery appointment in September 2023.

On Friday, Ms Patterson said messages sent to her estranged husband Simon Patterson a day before the fatal lunch on July 29, 2023, referred medical issues she was dealing with.

“I was going to have surgery soon … the gastric bypass surgery,” she said.

She said she had an appointment at the Enrich Clinic for a pre-surgery appointment.

On Tuesday, Dr Rogers asked if the appointment was for the South Yarra clinic at 11am on September 13, 2023, which Ms Patterson agreed.

“The Enrich clinic offers services in dermatology, agree or disagree?” Dr Rogers asked.

“I don’t know,” Ms Patterson responded.

“The Enrich clinic does not offer gastric bypass or gastric sleeve surgery?” Dr Rogers continued.

“I don’t know,” she responded again.

“I had an appointment with them and that’s what my memory was for so I’m a bit puzzled.”

Dr Rogers suggested the claim was a lie and the booking had nothing to do with a gastric bypass surgery.

Ms Patterson disputed this, suggesting the appointment was related to weight loss and could have been liposuction.

“No it wasn’t a lie that’s what my memory was,” she said.

She acts as if her memory is an entity separate from Erin. Like some evil twin that follows her around, causing trouble.

Denying responsibility for her actions.

 

[MsMarple]

now07.32 BST
The court has adjourned for the day.

 

[MrJ]

Key Event
Just now
Defence says Erin assisted police to avoid suspicion

By Joseph Dunstan

The cross-examination returns to the assistance Erin Patterson gave police from hospital as they located lunch leftovers at her Leongatha home.

Dr Rogers puts to Ms Patterson that she assisted police to find the leftovers because she knew she had no means of removing the leftovers from the bin by herself.

"Why wouldn't I just say there was no leftovers? That seems really convoluted," Ms Patterson responds, but agrees she did assist police.

"Because if you hadn't told them where the leftovers were ... it would have been suspicious, do you agree or disagree?" Dr Rogers asks.

"No idea about that," Ms Patterson says.

BBM, YOUR OWN TESTIMONY IS CONVOLUTED ERIN!

 

[drsleuth]

now16.32 AEST
The court has adjourned for the day.

Australia mushroom trial live: Erin Patterson denies making a sixth beef wellington in hope estranged husband would attend lunch

Victorian woman, 50, has pleaded not guilty to three charges of murder and one of attempted murder following a fatal beef wellington lunch in Leongatha in 2023. Follow live

www.theguardian.com

 

[MrJ]

Key Event
1m ago
Court is adjourned until tomorrow

By Joseph Dunstan

The prosecution's Nanette Rogers SC still has quite a way to go with her cross-examination of Erin Patterson.

But that's all there's time for today, so the hearing is adjourned until tomorrow morning.

 

[Old Soul]

I'm driving a car on a 3 hour round trip, in my nice cream pants, after having diarrhoea all night, and so I start drinking coffee on the way back, after previously having to stop and go poop by the side of the road. None of this rings true. IMO

And I would add to this, insisting her son’s flying lesson go ahead despite the fact that he has woken up with a sore tummy, which could very well be gastro because she has allegedly been experiencing explosive diarrhea symptoms of gastro herself overnight and gastro (non food poisoning) is contagious.

Can you imagine letting your 14 year old child fly a plane (I’m assuming this is what flying lessons entail) while they might have gastro?!

IMO the drive to Tyab served other purposes for Erin, maybe to bin something incriminating in the service station toilets, to give an excuse to be hard to contact by phone, and maybe even to be away from the house in case anyone came knocking with questions about the sick lunch guests.

 

[katydid23]

Erin Patterson mushroom murder trial LIVE updates

Follow Daily Mail Australia's live coverage of accused mushroom chef Erin Patterson's murder trial here.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Patterson claims nurse was 'mistaken'​

The jury heard nurse Ashton asked Dr Veronica Foot to assist her with Patterson while they were in an airlock bay at Leongatha Hospital.
'I think she [Dr Foot] did [tell me I could potentially become very unwell],' Ms Patterson said.
Dr Foot said she thought Patterson said she would return in 30 minutes.
Patterson said she agreed this was Dr Foot's evidence.
'I think they did say that [I needed treatment],' she said.
Dr Rogers suggested staff came into the airlock and were 'stressing' Patterson not to leave.
'They really wanted to sign that [discharge] form,' Patterson said.
'I don't remember anyone saying my life was at risk.'
Patterson agreed with the suggestion nurse Ashton was 'mistaken'.


14:36

Reason Patterson left hospital is questioned​

Dr Rogers suggested Patterson was eager to leave the hospital because she knew she hadn't consumed death cap mushrooms.
Patterson said she didn't think her life was in danger despite admitting hospital staff told her to get back to the hospital quick.
'Yes…, I do remember it being communicated to me the medication was, like it was time critical, it needed to be done within a timely manner I suppose,' Patterson said.
'I didn't think any of us had [consumed death caps], but it wasn't why I was leaving, no.'
Dr Rogers suggested Patterson panicked because she thought she'd been found out.
'I disagree,' Patterson said.
Dr Rogers also said Patterson's daughter didn't have ballet on that Monday.
Patterson previously told the jury a reason she wanted to leave the hospital was to make preparations for her daughter's ballet rehearsal.
Dr Rogers also suggested Patterson didn't need to pack a ballet bag for her daughter.
Patterson denied this and claimed her daughter had a rehearsal on Monday after school for a mid-year concert.

So a ballet rehearsal for a 9 yr old was more important than life saving treatments for her and the kids?

 

[Brooklyn127]

Mismatched plates can be charming! (Especially at Grandma's house!)
My daughter had mismatched plates for her wedding reception (over 100 people) in Chicago. They came from various vintage sites and thrift shops, and were later donated. At her own home (condo), the plates matched. But then, she was a newlywed!
I just think that only having six dinner plates, matched or not, is odd. Homowner, with two children! So, I guess my last question is, do people commonly use paper plates in Australia? (I do, just curious, not a criticism!)

 

[BreakingNews]

Thanks for posting all the updates

 

[drsleuth]

So a ballet rehearsal for a 9 yr old was more important than life saving treatments for her and the kids?

Apparently

 

[Old Soul]

100% agree. I'm at a total loss to understand why she would respond to the questions in this manner. I read a report last week which described her as 'assertive'; she is way beyond that today. Defiant, rude, disrespectful, appears almost bored at times?

Backed herself into a corner….nothing left to lose…the real Erin comes out!
IMO

 

[MrJ]

Today was dismally bad for Erin and tomorrow is sure to be worse. I'm here for it

 

[LinasK]

Backed herself into a corner….nothing left to lose…the real Erin comes out!
IMO

That's what I was hoping for, for the prosecutor to provoke her into anger. The real Erin and her rage are coming out.

 

[Eloise]

Mismatched plates can be charming! (Especially at Grandma's house!)
My daughter had mismatched plates for her wedding reception (over 100 people) in Chicago. They came from various vintage sites and thrift shops, and were later donated. At her own home (condo), the plates matched. But then, she was a newlywed!
I just think that only having six dinner plates, matched or not, is odd. Homowner, with two children! So, I guess my last question is, do people commonly use paper plates in Australia? (I do, just curious, not a criticism!)

oh I think a 'crazy tea set' can be charming. There was a 'crazy tea set cafe' I went to a few times when I was younger. But I don't get the sense there was anything deliberate or collectable about Erin's plate situation.

Australians use paper plates for picnics, barbeques, sausage sizzles etc. Not at home unless desperate, like you've dirtied all your plates and have run out of dish liquid/tabs and can't go to the shops until tomorrow kind of situation. Definitely not a regular thing as Americans do.