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

[Kemug]

Yes. I only see people who are alleged perpetrators as 'fair game' to discuss and look into their background. Erin had a different view. Anyone who disagreed with her was automatically 'fair game' and I found the behaviour to be unhinged and alarming.

Do you think she may have actually blackmailed people?

 

[Detechtive]

Do you think she may have actually blackmailed people?

In this case, you mean? Or in general?

 

[Kemug]

1m ago06.51 BST

Patterson opened herself to 'scrutiny of the whole world', defence says​

Mandy reminds the jury Patterson had a right to silence and did not have to testify in the trial.

“She doesn’t have to provide anything and yet she decided to give evidence and subject herself to several days of cross-examination by a very experienced barrister.”

He says in doing so Patterson opened herself up to juror’s scrutiny and the “scrutiny of the whole world."

Why, that's mighty noble of her.

 

[JBowie]

Patterson opened herself up to juror’s scrutiny and the “scrutiny of the whole world."

So what? That's no different from any accused who chooses to take the stand.

I'm not imagining that she went back to her cell each night singing "I've got the whole world, in my hands ..."

 

[srper2]

I was initially suspish when I saw Erin's histrionic display with the press, pretending to cry etc. Then when everything she said was a lie and she avoided doing anything to try to help people who were dying. Third, she obviously pretended to be a little bit sick, thinking she would cover her lying arse. Then pretending she gave the kids the same food with the mushroom mix scraped off, another lie. 4th - Tossing the dehydrator - that had deathcap residue she had prepared earlier. She never thought she would get caught out. Erin was completely confident the hospital would not realise she had poisoned them. Seems obvious to me she has done it before and got away with it and this time decided to do a load of victims all at once to save time. I wonder if police can look into her search history around the time Simon was sick and also when her parents and grandmother died (I didn't know she also conveniently inherited from granny as well)....

 

[Spectrix]

I do feel sorry for Mr Mandy. He inherited what I think is a pretty bad case to defend.
It's no slight on his obvious brilliance. I remember during his defence that I suddenly had doubts that the jury would find her culpable. He is clearly good at what he does. But he can only do so much with what he has.
Erin taking the stand was a death knell for him, IMO. And I am sure that was not his choosing!

I truly feel sorry for Colin Mandy. Not because of Erin's supposed guilt, but because he would have been subject to her controlling and arrogant nature for so many months. I can only imagine that Erin has been lying to him and swapping narratives the whole way though, as well as dictating how he does his job.
Remember how she was taking notes during Dr Rogers' closing? You can be sure she'd prepared a list of things that Mr Mandy could talk about.

One has to wonder, at some point early on, did he just stand back and say "That's a marvellous idea Erin, I'm sure you'll do a terrific job taking the stand at your own murder trial".

I firmly believe that Erin is going to blame him should she be found guilty. And he'll be sleeping soundly knowing the retched woman is in jail

 

[Kemug]

That sounds like someone who could build up rage and resentment against someone who didn't agree with her opinions or she couldn't control. Someone who could be a dangerous person to know even...

"Mad, bad, and dangerous to know" - description of Lord Byron.

 

[srper2]

Well, as I've mentioned before when my brother and I were kids, my father regularly took us mushroom foraging. Back then though, there were less poisonous varieties around. I also foraged mushrooms when I was staying with my aunt in Devon, UK and in East Gippsland with my father. I'm still here to tell the story.

Yes, I learned how to identify mushrooms safe to eat as a kid and then taught my own children. My family has picked fresh mushrooms and cooked them here in Vic for the past 85 years and none of us have died!

 

[MrJ]

Summary
Here’s a recap of what the jury heard today:

1. Prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC told the jury Erin Patterson “targeted her search” for death cap mushrooms to poison the beef wellingtons she served her lunch guests on 29 July 2023.

2. Patterson cannot be accepted as a truthful and trustworthy witness, Rogers said. In the final moments of her closing address, she said if the jury combines all the evidence in the trial they will be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Patterson deliberately sourced death cap mushrooms and deliberately included them in the beef wellingtons she served her guests.

3. Patterson’s defence lawyer, Colin Mandy SC, said the prosecution had a “flawed approach” in analysing the evidence and “discarded inconvenient truths”. He told the jury to consider whether there is a reasonable possibility that death cap mushrooms were put into the beef wellingtons accidentally. He said jurors should also consider whether there is a reasonable possibility that Patterson did not intend to kill or cause serious injury to her guests.

4. Mandy said his client had no motive and “very good reasons” not to harm her lunch guests. “If you do embark on this plan … you’ll lose the only people in the world who are any support to you and your children, you will lose your children and you will lose everything that’s important to you,” he said.

5. Mandy said that while Patterson had a right to silence and was under no obligation to testify in the trial she chose to give evidence in the trial. In doing so, he said, she opened herself up to days of cross-examination by an experienced barrister and the “scrutiny of the whole world”.

(The Guardian live blog)

 

[Kemug]

Has he considered being a stand-up comedian?

Actually, my grandfather was.

 

[JBowie]

Pointing to the dehydrator Patterson discarded after the meal, [Mandy] told the jury she had gone to the tip in her own car and paid for the disposal under her own name.

Oh, you mean the dehydrator that she told police she didn't own? You are referring to that dehydrator?

 

[Kemug]

"She chose to, I didn't advise it"

"And I hope to God I never have to set eyes on that ghastly woman ever again."

 

[Deleted member 363451]

Yes, I learned how to identify mushrooms safe to eat as a kid and then taught my own children. My family has picked fresh mushrooms and cooked them here in Vic for the past 85 years and none of us have died!

Mushrooms are so expensive to buy.

 

[JBowie]

Patterson’s defence lawyer, Colin Mandy SC, said the prosecution had a “flawed approach” in analysing the evidence and “discarded inconvenient truths”. He told the jury to consider whether there is a reasonable possibility that death cap mushrooms were put into the beef wellingtons accidentally.

... to which he should have added: "And while doing so, consider whether there is a reasonable possibility that pigs may fly".

 

[Deleted member 363451]

... to which he should have added: "While doing so, consider whether there is a reasonable possibility that pigs may fly".

I notice he failed to say "By Erin."

 

[Kemug]

I seriously don't understand this. From the outset the judge, as well as the prosecution, explicitly said there would be no motive put forth, and it wasn't required for any verdict. So why is Mandy playing this 'no motive' defence?


View attachment 595815

Because it's all he has?

 

[Kemug]

I’m waiting for the instant appeal if she is convicted

She will demand one.

 

[JBowie]

I seriously don't understand this. From the outset the judge, as well as the prosecution, explicitly said there would be no motive put forth, and it wasn't required for any verdict. So why is Mandy playing this 'no motive' defence?

IMO he's doing that because, as I've opined here before, people naturally ask themselves "Why did he/she do <whatever>?", especially when they are put into a position to have to make a judgement on that action.

IMO Mandy is trying to address that natural tendency by telling the jurors that there was no reason.

 

[JBowie]

I’m waiting for the instant appeal if she is convicted

I'd be waiting for her to say "Disagree!"

 

[Kemug]

At the risk of getting eaten alive, I'm looking at this case purely through the eyes of the law. EP is presumed innocent until proven guilty and the onus is on the prosecution to prove her guilt. I have my personal views, but i will keep them to myself.
I'm very interested in the summing up and judges direction and how this turns out. I have no interest in this case except to see how the law works. Please don't make assumptions about me. I'm performing my own research.

Where's my teeth emoji?