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

[MrJ]

Rogers says when police executed the search warrant on her house this day they seized two desktop computers. Patterson says there were three.

Genuinely what's the point of Erin saying this?

 

[Lisa4]

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.

""I've been hiding powdered mushrooms in everything. Mixed it into chocolate brownies yesterday, the kids had no idea.""

Erin Patterson told friends she'd been 'hiding powdered mushrooms in everything', court hears

Erin Patterson "seemed to really like mushrooms", her friends say, and shared pictures of a food dehydrator in the lead-up to a deadly lunch hosted at her home.

www.abc.net.au

Both can't be true.
I am no expert but from some quick research I believe in Victoria the jury are allowed to disregard everything a witness has said if the witness has lied once.

 

[Jess D]

If you think that mushrooms are "smelling funny", why would you ever believe that storing them in a Tupperware container for ANY amount of time is going to make the smell go away? If they are going bad, the smell will only get worse.

You would throw them out.

 

[Brooklyn127]

In that example, I would not be saying or suggesting whether or not my friends were being truthful. Nor is Erin doing that when being questioned by Dr Rogers.

I still wish you would explain your point of view further. Some, admittedly very few of us, believe that she might be innocent - in the very loosest form of the word.
You can always say innocent until proven guilty, which is certainly true (legally).
But I would still like to hear your thoughts on this.

 

[Cliff Hardy]

Genuinely what's the point of Erin saying this?

She attempts to control the narrative by challenging details between claiming she can't remember everything else she is questioned about. Likes to mix it up a bit.

 

[LinasK]

What a strange way to word your response.

After that response, I really hope Simon gets permanent sole custody of them.

 

[katydid23]

Yeah, I didn't think Greg Lynn did himself any favours either. Burning and smashing the evidence to smithereens. But he walked for the (alleged) murder of Russell Hill.

imo

And Casey Anthony, so obviously guilty it seemed and yet she slithered away with Not Guilty on all counts, even though her toddler was found dead, and there was a strong smell of decomposition in her trunk...

 

[MrJ]

So smarmy!

Key Event
1m ago
Court resumes and questioning turns to books at Erin's home

By Joseph Dunstan

The hearing resumes and Dr Rogers turns to the books in Ms Patterson's house, which the prosecutor says were examined and catalogued by police during a search.

Dr Rogers asks if she accepts that not one of the 423 books in Ms Patterson's home were about foraging.

Ms Patterson replies she's not gone through the "several thousand" books in her home to check if any are about foraging, but says some are about gardening.

Dr Rogers says she'll offer Ms Patterson a log of books in her house compiled by police.

"I've seen that log, it's not complete," Ms Patterson says.

Ms Patterson says when police searched her home on August 5, she hadn't unpacked all of her books onto the shelves and several were in tubs in her garage.

She says over August, September and October, she went through and put them on shelves, adding hundreds to those that were on the shelves on August 5, 2023.

Dr Rogers asks if Ms Patterson accepts that on August 5, no book about mushrooms was found in her house.

"That'd be right," Ms Patterson responds.

 

[Cliff Hardy]

So smarmy!

Key Event
1m ago
Court resumes and questioning turns to books at Erin's home

By Joseph Dunstan

The hearing resumes and Dr Rogers turns to the books in Ms Patterson's house, which the prosecutor says were examined and catalogued by police during a search.

Dr Rogers asks if she accepts that not one of the 423 books in Ms Patterson's home were about foraging.

Ms Patterson replies she's not gone through the "several thousand" books in her home to check if any are about foraging, but says some are about gardening.

Dr Rogers says she'll offer Ms Patterson a log of books in her house compiled by police.

"I've seen that log, it's not complete," Ms Patterson says.

Ms Patterson says when police searched her home on August 5, she hadn't unpacked all of her books onto the shelves and several were in tubs in her garage.

She says over August, September and October, she went through and put them on shelves, adding hundreds to those that were on the shelves on August 5, 2023.

Dr Rogers asks if Ms Patterson accepts that on August 5, no book about mushrooms was found in her house.

"That'd be right," Ms Patterson responds.

Getting Erin to agree to things that are plainly facts is like trying to herd cats.

 

[srper2]

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."

Erin Pattersson is obviously well versed in talking in circles, gaslighting people and twisting past conversations. I can only imagine what her husband and in laws had to put up with. The fact that she has said all the evidence from other people and even her own children is untrue and incorrect is gaslighting behaviour.

 

[Doesitmakesense]

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

Did they really get the day wrong though, or was it purposeful. Shows how even under pressure EP can recall finer details.

 

[L_B]

If you think that mushrooms are "smelling funny", why would you ever believe that storing them in a Tupperware container for ANY amount of time is going to make the smell go away? If they are going bad, the smell will only get worse.

As an ex-Tupperware consultant, those things are AIR TIGHT. It will keep alllllllllllllllll the smells

 

[katydid23]

I found the "chopping into cubes" testimony of her son, odd. I have pondered whether she was infantilising a teen by chopping up a steak, but you raise a good point that she may have done that to obscure whether it was leftovers or not.

Also, who reheats steak? I can't imagine it would be juicy the next day. Am I wrong?!

I don't believe she reheated anything. I believe she cooked two fresh steaks for her kids from the 10 she purchased, like you said. IMO

yes because didn't her son say the meat was delicious and tender?

 

[Cliff Hardy]

After that response, I really hope Simon gets permanent sole custody of them.

Her somewhat inevitable extended holiday at the pleasure of His Majesty should ensure that's the case.

 

[Shortfusepsb]

Her somewhat inevitable extended holiday at the pleasure of His Majesty should ensure that's the case.

Nobody can send her books in there...

 

[MrJ]

Poor kids. As soon as they're not useful to their mum they get thrown aside. IMO

Key Event
1m ago
Erin rejects prosecution's suggestion she did not forage for non-toxic mushrooms

By Joseph Dunstan

Dr Rogers then asks Ms Patterson about a phone she'd used to communicate with her Facebook friends, which was seized and examined by police.

The prosecutor says there were no messages in the logs taken from the phone about picking and eating wild mushrooms.

"That would be right," Ms Patterson says.

Ms Patterson has previously told the court her children "definitely saw what I was doing" when she had picked mushrooms on previous occasions.

Ms Patterson objects to Dr Rogers describing it as "going mushroom picking", telling the court it's not like she ever woke up and said "I'm going to go mushroom picking", rather that she would pick them up while on walks.

Dr Rogers takes Ms Patterson to evidence from her son, who told police he had never been aware of his mother picking mushrooms.

"I suggest that [your son] never knew you to go foraging because foraging for non-toxic mushrooms was not something you did," Dr Rogers says.

"Disagree," Ms Patterson says.

"I suggest that your children never knew you to pick wild mushrooms ... that's because you did not go foraging for non-toxic mushrooms ... this is a story you have made up for this jury," Dr Rogers says.

Ms Patterson disagrees with the three propositions.

 

[Jess D]

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

I'm sure Nanette has been reading my posts. lol

 

[katydid23]

Is she saying that everyone is wrong? Or is she saying she disagrees with what is being put to her by Dr Rogers?
Two different things.

Usually she is disagreeing with what Dr Rogers put to her HOWEVER Dr Rogers is going with things in evidence, thus things testified to by other people.

She has said Simon is wrong, Ian is wrong, Heather's recollection was wrong, her kids were both wrong, the doctors and nurses were wrong, the CPS worker was wrong, the paramedic was wrong,

 

[MrJ]

Key Event
Just now
More questions on foraging

By Joseph Dunstan

Dr Rogers then takes Ms Patterson to phone messages between Ms Patterson and her estranged husband Simon Patterson, over an 18-month period.

"There is not a single message about you picking wild mushrooms, do you agree with that?" Dr Rogers asks.

"I haven't done my own keyword search on that ... but I'm prepared to accept that it's true, if you say that," Ms Patterson says.

bbm. the snark is annoying me

 

[Cliff Hardy]

Did they really get the day wrong though, or was it purposeful. Shows how even under pressure EP can recall finer details.

Only when she chooses to.