Australia - 3 dead after eating wild mushrooms, Leongatha, Victoria, Aug 2023 #14 *Arrest*

[Old Soul]

Court shown photos of dehydrator​

Patterson has been shown photos of mushrooms on the shelves of the food dehydrator.

Mandy: “So those mushrooms we are looking at there appear to be - perhaps I will ask you this, where did they come from?”

Patterson: “I believe I picked them from the Korumburra Botanic Gardens.

Mandy: “And they are not looking well.”

Patterson: “No they are not. That was a bit of an experiment to see how they turned out. They were a bit mushy inside. They just didn’t dry well.”

Asked whether she tried them, Patterson said “I don’t think so”.

Mandy asked why some of the mushrooms were pictured on scales.

Patterson said she was doing experimenting to see how long it would take to dry them.

BBM,
I wonder what Mandy was about to say????

‘They tasted good and I didn’t get sick’: Patterson reveals the first time she ate wild mushrooms

The mother-of-two is on the stand at her murder trial, accused of killing her three in-laws with poisonous death cap mushrooms.

7news.com.au

 

[JBowie]

She should have got a job.

She had one that we know about: air traffic controller. How long it lasted is unknown (especially after reportedly calling her department head a buffoon).

 

[HoneyBunOne]

I have noticed that a lot of us on here seem to have only joined when this case became world famous. Welcome, and please stick around! I would be really interested to know (because that's what I do!) exactly how many. Could a Moderator please tell us, or is that not allowed? Or is it too difficult to calculate?

I came here for the Samantha Murphy case. I'm Victorian, and the case resonated with me. I'm female, a similar age, a mother, live in the country and would often go for walks with my dogs on the quiet country roads around here. I have not gone alone since she disappeared. I'm still hoping her body will be found and justice served. Whilst I don't live very close to Ballarat, I actually live close enough that if the case is tried there (which I believe it is) I could be called for jury duty on the case.

 

[303gmf]

If anyone is on Reddit, you might get a laugh at the poetry and rap lyrics you can find on r/DeathCapDinner.

Hungry Caterpillar above that one excellent!

 

[HoneyBunOne]

She had one that we know about: air traffic controller. How long it lasted is unknown (especially after reportedly calling her department head a buffoon).

I believe she also worked at Monash city council, as did Simon, that's how they met. I believe there may have been a connection to RSPCA through her role as well.

"The couple, he said, had been part of an "eclectic friends group" at the Monash City Council when they met, Simon employed as a civil engineer and Erin, who had degrees in business/accounting and air traffic controlling, employed in the animal management/local laws department."

Mushroom trial: How a fractious relationship unravelled and became toxic

Erin Pattrson's estranged husband was the first witness called by the prosecution in the case of the triple 'mushroom' murders. SIMON Peter Patterson, the estranged husband of the woman accused of the triple murder of three of his family members and...

www.sgst.com.au

 

[Lisa4]

It all sounds so unbelievably cruel. I still scratch my head and think, if you hated him so much, why not just get a divorce and move on? She was so well off, two children, intelligent...could've done anything with her life. But I understand we are not dealing with someone who is thinking clearly, logically or rationally.
MOO

Revenge for slights (real or imagined) is high on narcissists' To Do lists.

It's a fact that these persons keep actual lists of all these "slights" against them, with all the sorry details.

 

[JBowie]

It's a fact that these persons keep actual lists of all these "slights" against them, with all the sorry details.

Ah, the infamous little black book.

 

[SouthAussie]

She had one that we know about: air traffic controller. How long it lasted is unknown (especially after reportedly calling her department head a buffoon).

She worked as an air traffic controller for about a year. She also worked as an accountant prior to their marriage.

Erin Patterson, who's been accused of murder over a deadly mushroom meal, was a Melbourne air traffic controller in 2001 until abruptly leaving in 2002.

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz

Before their marriage, he said, she worked as an accountant and a qualified air traffic controller. She loved to learn and study, he said. She undertook a veterinary science course and also did some legal studies work.

Mushroom cook’s husband Simon gives evidence on marriage struggles, plate colour, cancer claims: Trial day two, as it happened

The first witness for the prosecution, Erin Patterson’s estranged husband Simon Patterson, was called to the stand on day two of the mushroom murder trial. Here’s how the day unfolded.

www.smh.com.au

 

[Scooby-Doo]

Cross-examination of Erin Patterson comes to an end as mushroom trial comes closer to reaching a verdict​

Erin Patterson has concluded eight days of cross-examination, firmly denying any suggestion she intended to kill her relatives using death cap mushrooms. The accused triple murderer gave her final answers in the witness box.




Ms Patterson has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. Now, her fate lies with the jury who must decide if it was all a tragic accident or a calculated plan to kill.

Cross examination is over

The high-profile case that’s captured global attention is nearing its end with the evidence phase now complete.

Audible sighs could be heard from the public gallery and some jurors as Erin Patterson turned to thank Justice Chistopher Beale before exiting the witness stand after eight days of grilling by Senior Crown prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC.

Both the prosecution and defence are preparing closing arguments to begin on Monday morning, it will be their final chance to sway the jury.

Justice Christopher Beale will then deliver his summing up, and final directions to the jury before sending them to deliberate. Throughout cross-examination, Ms Patterson has maintained her innocence while the victims’ families, including the only survivor of the fatal lunch, sat just metres away in court.

Dr Rogers asked: “You sent them on a wild goose chase ...You lied about the source of the death cap mushrooms because you knew you were guilty of deliberately poisoning your four lunch guests, correct or incorrect?

Ms Patterson replied “Incorrect”

Then there’s the allegations about Ms Patterson performing multiple factory resets on the phone she handed to police.

"I suggest you did that because you knew there was no data on this phone," Dr Rogers said.

"No, I did it because they asked for my phone and I gave it to them," Ms Patterson said.
The prosecution has painted a picture of a woman angry at her estranged husband, Simon Patterson, and motivated by revenge.

Senior Crown prosecutors allege Erin Patterson deliberately hid a phone from police to prevent them from accessing incriminating data about death cap mushrooms used in the fatal lunch.

Ms Patterson denies using the device to research mushroom locations or intentionally swapping it before a police search.


Now, the case rests with the jury.

Chief Prosecutor Nanette Rogers (left) and Detective Stephen Eppingstall are pictured arriving at the Latrobe Valley Court in Morwell on Thursday. Picture: NewsWire / Diego Fedele

https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/crime/crossexamination-of-erin-patterson-comes-to-an-end-as-mushroom-trial-comes-closer-to-reaching-a-verdict/news-story/09e3872ded63e4b583897af2ca5de5bc

 

[CityKid]

She’s a bad cook. She used to cook Asian food and show us but it was the western equivalent of Asian food, and it honestly looked disgusting. Overcooked vegetables, soggy noodles, etc.

I’m frankly shocked she had the Recipe Tin Eats book.

I follow Nagi/Recipe Tin Eats on Instagram and she seems lovely (and talented!). I'm so sorry her name has gotten dragged into this.

 

[CityKid]

That fits with using premade gravy from a package, but why did the kids say that the meal tasted so good? Because she put in more effort than usual?

Detechtive says she made them mostly chicken nuggets and chips, so I can imagine a steak would be a treat!

 

[mamamama9873]

I follow Nagi/Recipe Tin Eats on Instagram and she seems lovely (and talented!). I'm so sorry her name has gotten dragged into this.

Absolutely, she’s a genuinely sweet and wonderful human being.

From a business perspective any publicity can be advantageous - so I hope she can see the positive side of this.

 

[Deleted member 363451]

I believe she also worked at Monash city council, as did Simon, that's how they met. I believe there may have been a connection to RSPCA through her role as well.

"The couple, he said, had been part of an "eclectic friends group" at the Monash City Council when they met, Simon employed as a civil engineer and Erin, who had degrees in business/accounting and air traffic controlling, employed in the animal management/local laws department."

Mushroom trial: How a fractious relationship unravelled and became toxic

Erin Pattrson's estranged husband was the first witness called by the prosecution in the case of the triple 'mushroom' murders. SIMON Peter Patterson, the estranged husband of the woman accused of the triple murder of three of his family members and...

www.sgst.com.au

I think Erin and Simon probably worked at Monash Council at the same time that I did.

 

[MrJ]

How long do closings usually take?

 

[MaxDecimus13]

One for the Australians on the forum. Are there not many traffic cameras on the round in Australia?

In the UK we notoriously have a lot, and I've seen TV programs where it was the CCTV from traffic cameras that basically led to their downfall. For instance, in one case where a husband had killed his wife, traffic cameras were able to show that he had driven in the middle of the night into the countryside and stopped in the woods for something like 2 hours. It showed step by step his exact route and which camera it had been picked up on.

Obviously, they don't have this footage for EP otherwise they would have used it. Also, it's not to say the UK's system is better and there is a lot of pushback against it. However, it would have been invaluable at times in this trial.

Not only would it have been able to identify where she went in Loch and Outrim, but also where she went after she left the hospital the first time. The prosecution almost teasingly mentioned that some of those phone towers pinged in an unexpected way again.

 

[JBowie]

Known generally as speed cameras, the type and number of them varies by state.

In New South Wales (capital city is Sydney), increasingly they appear at traffic lights were they are designated as red light and speed cameras. It is also common for them to be in school zones where the speed is limited to 40 km/h at start and end of school days. In this state it is current government policy to signpost their presence (which, oddly, does not stop many people being fined for speeding past them).

We also have mobile cameras which are moved around to various 'hotspots'. Those also must be sign posted.

Those two types are not filming continuously, only when triggered by an offending vehicle.

Then there are cameras on gantries for motorways used for chasing up people whose vehicle does not 'ping' the toll charging mechanisms. Those cameras have been used by police to track wanted people.

Gantry cameras record every vehicle that passes them.

Cameras also are being used increasingly for detecting end to end speeding along motorways. Initially put in place for trucks, the government is now planning to widen that to all vehicles.

There are also now fixed position and movable unannounced (no warning signs) seat belt and mobile phone check cameras. I gather they also record every car that passes by them.

Apart from all of the above, there are lots of traffic management cameras along major roads which are monitored in real time by the roads authority. I don't know if that video is recorded -- it would require humongous storage methinks.

https://region.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/ROB_5104-1200x630.jpg

https://www.ownerdriver.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/shutterstock_716539150-15104904.jpg

 

[ch_13]

One for the Australians on the forum. Are there not many traffic cameras on the round in Australia?

In the UK we notoriously have a lot, and I've seen TV programs where it was the CCTV from traffic cameras that basically led to their downfall. For instance, in one case where a husband had killed his wife, traffic cameras were able to show that he had driven in the middle of the night into the countryside and stopped in the woods for something like 2 hours. It showed step by step his exact route and which camera it had been picked up on.

Obviously, they don't have this footage for EP otherwise they would have used it. Also, it's not to say the UK's system is better and there is a lot of pushback against it. However, it would have been invaluable at times in this trial.

Not only would it have been able to identify where she went in Loch and Outrim, but also where she went after she left the hospital the first time. The prosecution almost teasingly mentioned that some of those phone towers pinged in an unexpected way again.

Keep in mind that there were several months between the alleged mushroom picking and the lunch. I doubt there's any traffic cameras anywhere that keep footage for that length of time.

Edit - Some quick googling indicates that even in the UK, CCTV footage is usually kept for just one month.

 

[Spectrix]

Mandy asked why some of the mushrooms were pictured on scales.​

"Well, I was really just trying to figure out how many I needed to kill all of my inlaws"

 

[Scuffy35]

Known generally as speed cameras, the type and number of them varies by state.

In New South Wales (capital city is Sydney), increasingly they appear at traffic lights were they are designated as red light and speed cameras. It is also common for them to be in school zones where the speed is limited to 40 km/h at start and end of school days. In this state it is current government policy to signpost their presence (which, oddly, does not stop many people being fined for speeding past them).

We also have mobile cameras which are moved around to various 'hotspots'. Those also must be sign posted.

Those two types are not filming continuously, only when triggered by an offending vehicle.

Then there are cameras on gantries for motorways used for chasing up people whose vehicle does not 'ping' the toll charging mechanisms. Those cameras have been used by police to track wanted people.

Gantry cameras record every vehicle that passes them.

Cameras also are being used increasingly for detecting end to end speeding along motorways. Initially put in place for trucks, the government is now planning to widen that to all vehicles.

There are also now fixed position and movable unannounced (no warning signs) seat belt and mobile phone check cameras. I gather they also record every car that passes by them.

Apart from all of the above, there are lots of traffic management cameras along major roads which are monitored in real time by the roads authority. I don't know if that video is recorded -- it would require humongous storage methinks.

https://region.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/ROB_5104-1200x630.jpg

https://www.ownerdriver.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/shutterstock_716539150-15104904.jpg

Also at a lot of traffic light intersections (at least in Sydney) there are cameras to detect someone holding their mobile phone while driving, which is illegal to do).

[EDIT - I notice now you did list this one. I think they must operate as a camera snapshot on a triggered event, using AI, at a guess.
I don't know of any continuous recording CCTV traffic cameras in Australia]

In rural areas where Erin lives (or maybe in past tense now), there would not be many cameras around.

 

[JBowie]

Also at a lot of traffic light intersections (at least in Sydney) there are cameras to detect someone holding their mobile phone while driving, which is illegal to do.

Yep, and for not wearing seat belts. I did mention those:

There are also now fixed position and movable unannounced (no warning signs) seat belt and mobile phone check cameras.