I've said all along and still believe now, the smoking gun (to me) is the fact she fed the food to her children and was unconcerned for their health. This only makes sense if she knew that food was uncontaminated and she knew they'd be fine - because her placement of DC was deliberate and focused. Nothing else accounts for those actions/behaviours. JMO.
Australia - 3 dead after eating wild mushrooms, Leongatha, Victoria, Aug 2023 #14 *Arrest*
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3m ago12.02 AEST
‘What would you do?,’ prosecutor asks jury
Rogers asks the jury to imagine what they would do if they were in Patterson’s position.
“If you were told the meal you had served and cooked your family possibly had death cap mushrooms, what would you do?” she asks.
Rogers says they would not go into self preservation mode, be reluctant to receive medical treatment or take 2.5 hours to “eventually agree” to get their children medically assessed.
“You would do everything you could to help the people you love. You would tell the treating medical practitioners every skerrick of information,” she says.
‘What would you do?,’ prosecutor asks jury
Rogers asks the jury to imagine what they would do if they were in Patterson’s position.
“If you were told the meal you had served and cooked your family possibly had death cap mushrooms, what would you do?” she asks.
Rogers says they would not go into self preservation mode, be reluctant to receive medical treatment or take 2.5 hours to “eventually agree” to get their children medically assessed.
“You would do everything you could to help the people you love. You would tell the treating medical practitioners every skerrick of information,” she says.
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Just now
Prosecution dismisses Ms Patterson's explanation over phone resets
By Judd Boaz
Dr Rogers dismisses the account of Erin Patterson, who says she was forced to change and factory reset her phone due to it becoming damaged around the time of the lunch.
Ms Patterson says her son had dropped the phone in the mud during a school camp, leading her to reset it on August 3 following the lunch.
“How convenient,” Dr Rogers says wryly.
Dr Rogers says Erin Patterson kept using her usual mobile phone “despite her claim that the phone wasn’t cutting it anymore”.
She also pre-empts a possible defence argument that Ms Patterson is simply the kind of person who likes changing her phone often.
“This is very different to taking steps to hiding a phone from homicide detectives during an investigation,” Dr Rogers says.
Prosecution dismisses Ms Patterson's explanation over phone resets
By Judd Boaz
Dr Rogers dismisses the account of Erin Patterson, who says she was forced to change and factory reset her phone due to it becoming damaged around the time of the lunch.
Ms Patterson says her son had dropped the phone in the mud during a school camp, leading her to reset it on August 3 following the lunch.
“How convenient,” Dr Rogers says wryly.
Dr Rogers says Erin Patterson kept using her usual mobile phone “despite her claim that the phone wasn’t cutting it anymore”.
She also pre-empts a possible defence argument that Ms Patterson is simply the kind of person who likes changing her phone often.
“This is very different to taking steps to hiding a phone from homicide detectives during an investigation,” Dr Rogers says.
11:58
Dr Rogers said these explanations could be why she discharged herself from hospital or didn't accept treatment, why she dumped the dehydrator, and the wiping of phones.
Dr Rogers, who commenced with explaining why the accused's reasons for leaving hospital was a lie, again played to the jury CCTV of Patterson attempting to leave the hospital with a backpack.
Patterson told police she went to get a 'couple of bags of saline'.
Dr Rogers said it was 'nonsense' that she didn't expect to be admitted.
The prosecutor said there were other ways she could have managed the kids and animals given she'd been told she may have ingested poison.
Dr Rogers said the other times the jury has previously heard Patterson discharged herself from hospital were 'nothing like this'.
In 2015, Patterson discharged herself after having a chicken curry and suffering the runs and vomiting, the jury heard.
'This was a far cry from discharging yourself after being told you may have eaten death cap mushrooms,' Dr Rogers said.
12:00
Addressing a possible defence of 'panic', Dr Rogers said it did not explain why Patterson persisted with the 'lies while lives were at stake'.
Dr Rogers said Patterson told her online friend the mushrooms had come from an Asian grocer and she fed her kids the leftovers.
'This lie could not have possibly been due to panic,' she said.
Dr Rogers asked the jury if they'd 'go into self-preservation mode' and 'lie to health officials even though the truth might help those you claimed to love?'.
'You would tell treating medical practitioners every skerrick of information,' Dr Rogers suggested.
'You would move mountains if you heard your kids had consumed death cap mushrooms.
'Erin Patterson acted the way that she did because she knew what she had done.'
www.dailymail.co.uk
Prosecution shoots down possible innocent explanations
The jury was told the defence could suggest innocent explanations for 'Patterson's incriminating conduct'.Dr Rogers said these explanations could be why she discharged herself from hospital or didn't accept treatment, why she dumped the dehydrator, and the wiping of phones.
Dr Rogers, who commenced with explaining why the accused's reasons for leaving hospital was a lie, again played to the jury CCTV of Patterson attempting to leave the hospital with a backpack.
Patterson told police she went to get a 'couple of bags of saline'.
Dr Rogers said it was 'nonsense' that she didn't expect to be admitted.
The prosecutor said there were other ways she could have managed the kids and animals given she'd been told she may have ingested poison.
Dr Rogers said the other times the jury has previously heard Patterson discharged herself from hospital were 'nothing like this'.
In 2015, Patterson discharged herself after having a chicken curry and suffering the runs and vomiting, the jury heard.
'This was a far cry from discharging yourself after being told you may have eaten death cap mushrooms,' Dr Rogers said.
12:00
Prosecutor rubbishes possible defence Patterson 'panicked'
Dr Rogers told the jury to dismiss Patterson's (pictured) claims she had a distrust of hospitals and medical professionals as she had been in regular contact with them.Addressing a possible defence of 'panic', Dr Rogers said it did not explain why Patterson persisted with the 'lies while lives were at stake'.
Dr Rogers said Patterson told her online friend the mushrooms had come from an Asian grocer and she fed her kids the leftovers.
'This lie could not have possibly been due to panic,' she said.
Dr Rogers asked the jury if they'd 'go into self-preservation mode' and 'lie to health officials even though the truth might help those you claimed to love?'.
'You would tell treating medical practitioners every skerrick of information,' Dr Rogers suggested.
'You would move mountains if you heard your kids had consumed death cap mushrooms.
'Erin Patterson acted the way that she did because she knew what she had done.'
Erin Patterson mushroom murder trial LIVE updates
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Woah, this is way more knock out than I imagined!
12:07
'She panicked because they were already onto it,' Dr Rogers said.
Phone A had been used both before and after police attended the search, Dr Rogers again reminded the jury. Phone B, the device handed to police, was not her usual phone.
'[The] 835 number was only ever used three times,' Dr Rogers said.
Dr Rogers said the phone flow chart showed how 'proficient' Patterson was at changing phones.
She urged the jury to reject Patterson's 'lie' about wiping her phone while in the police lock-up just to see if she could.
'You should completely reject the suggestion police simply passed over Phone A,' Dr Rogers said.
Dr Rogers told the jury Patterson took the sim card out of Phone A and suggested the accused killer concealed it from police.
The prosecutor also said the jury should reject the defence notion an image of a possible black device depicted in a police search photo was Phone A not in its pink case, and investigators 'overlooked' the device during the August 5 search.
www.dailymail.co.uk
Jury urged to reject 'lies' about phones
Dr Rogers said Patterson wiped her 'dummy phone' and continued to use Phone A despite claiming that phone 'wasn't cutting it anymore'.'She panicked because they were already onto it,' Dr Rogers said.
Phone A had been used both before and after police attended the search, Dr Rogers again reminded the jury. Phone B, the device handed to police, was not her usual phone.
'[The] 835 number was only ever used three times,' Dr Rogers said.
Dr Rogers said the phone flow chart showed how 'proficient' Patterson was at changing phones.
She urged the jury to reject Patterson's 'lie' about wiping her phone while in the police lock-up just to see if she could.
'You should completely reject the suggestion police simply passed over Phone A,' Dr Rogers said.
Dr Rogers told the jury Patterson took the sim card out of Phone A and suggested the accused killer concealed it from police.
The prosecutor also said the jury should reject the defence notion an image of a possible black device depicted in a police search photo was Phone A not in its pink case, and investigators 'overlooked' the device during the August 5 search.
Erin Patterson mushroom murder trial LIVE updates
Follow Daily Mail Australia's live coverage of accused mushroom chef Erin Patterson's murder trial here.
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Key Event
1m ago
'Easy to identify' where accused went wrong with alleged murder plot, prosecutor says
By Joseph Dunstan
Dr Rogers says the toxicity of death cap mushrooms is "well known" and the estimated lethal dose is such that roughly 50 grams of the mushrooms could kill a 70 kilogram adult.
Photos obtained from Ms Patterson's devices showed mushrooms identified as death cap mushrooms on scales, which Dr Rogers says points to the accused's interest in the dosage.
She urged the jury against forming a view with the benefit of hindsight on Ms Patterson doing things like sharing news of her dehydrator purchase with Facebook friends.
"It's certainly easy to identify where she went wrong when you look back," Dr Rogers says, but urges the jury not to form an assessment on this basis.
"I suggest to you that the accused did think she would get away with these crimes and she never imagined that doctors would so quickly suspect that death cap mushrooms were involved."
1m ago
'Easy to identify' where accused went wrong with alleged murder plot, prosecutor says
By Joseph Dunstan
Dr Rogers says the toxicity of death cap mushrooms is "well known" and the estimated lethal dose is such that roughly 50 grams of the mushrooms could kill a 70 kilogram adult.
Photos obtained from Ms Patterson's devices showed mushrooms identified as death cap mushrooms on scales, which Dr Rogers says points to the accused's interest in the dosage.
She urged the jury against forming a view with the benefit of hindsight on Ms Patterson doing things like sharing news of her dehydrator purchase with Facebook friends.
"It's certainly easy to identify where she went wrong when you look back," Dr Rogers says, but urges the jury not to form an assessment on this basis.
"I suggest to you that the accused did think she would get away with these crimes and she never imagined that doctors would so quickly suspect that death cap mushrooms were involved."
1m ago03.10 BST
“It’s certainly easy to identify where she went wrong when you look back,” she says.
But she says the jury should ensure their assessment is based on the evidence of this case.
“I suggest to you, the accused did think she would get away with these crimes and she never suspected doctors would so quickly assume death cap mushrooms were involved,” Rogers says.
Prosecutor says Patterson thought 'she would get away with these crimes'
Rogers says the jury may wonder why Patterson shared photos of her dehydrator with her online friend if she planned to use it to dehydrate death cap mushrooms.“It’s certainly easy to identify where she went wrong when you look back,” she says.
But she says the jury should ensure their assessment is based on the evidence of this case.
“I suggest to you, the accused did think she would get away with these crimes and she never suspected doctors would so quickly assume death cap mushrooms were involved,” Rogers says.
12.11pmIncriminating conduct or innocent explanations: What the jury must wrangle
Prosecutor Nanette Rogers, SC, told the jury she anticipated that defence barrister Colin Mandy, SC, might suggest that there are innocent explanations for Erin Patterson’s incriminating conduct.That included, the prosecutor said, explanations on why Patterson discharged herself from hospital against medical advice, her reluctance to receive medical treatment, why she dumped the food dehydrator, her lies to police and factory resets on phone B.
Rogers has taken the jury to CCTV footage of Patterson at Leongatha Hospital before she discharged herself, where she was carrying a backpack and satchel bag.
Patterson was told the previous day that her lunch guests were admitted to hospital.
“The suggestion that she didn’t know she was going to be admitted to hospital before she arrived and she was not prepared for that possibility – it’s nonsense,” Rogers told the jury.
“The accused had made sure the children were packed and dropped to school that morning before she dropped herself to hospital. It would be many hours before her children were [due to return home that day].”
Rogers said there were many other ways Patterson could have handled arrangements for her children and animals in a moment of crisis.
“If she distrusted the medical system so much in 2023 why did she go to the hospital on July 31, 2023 in the first place?” Rogers said to the jury.
Erin Patterson murder trial day 33 as it happened: Accused mushroom cook lied to authorities and in witness box, prosecutor says in concluding argument; defence argues no intent, panic explains actions
Inside courtroom four in Morwell, Patterson, on trial for murder, listened intently as prosecutor Nanette Rogers, SC, concluded her closing argument, and defence barrister Colin Mandy, SC, commenced his.
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1m ago
Prosecution outlines Ms Patterson's alleged lies
By Judd Boaz
Dr Rogers then begins listing a number of lies — both admitted and alleged — that the prosecution says Erin Patterson had told.
“We say that the accused has told numerous lies in this case, to witnesses in this case and to you the jury,” Dr Rogers says.
Dr Rogers lists off to the jury Ms Patterson’s confirmed lies about:
Having cancer and needing medical treatment for it
Not owning or using a dehydrator
Never having foraged mushrooms
Then she moves to what the prosecution alleges are lies:
Erin’s claims she had been ‘very, very helpful’ with the health department
That Erin invited her lunch guests to simply strengthen their relationship and say thank you
Erin’s testimony that she never told her guests that she had been diagnosed with cancer
Her testimony that she was planning to undergo gastric-bypass surgery
Prosecution outlines Ms Patterson's alleged lies
By Judd Boaz
Dr Rogers then begins listing a number of lies — both admitted and alleged — that the prosecution says Erin Patterson had told.
“We say that the accused has told numerous lies in this case, to witnesses in this case and to you the jury,” Dr Rogers says.
Dr Rogers lists off to the jury Ms Patterson’s confirmed lies about:
Having cancer and needing medical treatment for it
Not owning or using a dehydrator
Never having foraged mushrooms
Then she moves to what the prosecution alleges are lies:
Erin’s claims she had been ‘very, very helpful’ with the health department
That Erin invited her lunch guests to simply strengthen their relationship and say thank you
Erin’s testimony that she never told her guests that she had been diagnosed with cancer
Her testimony that she was planning to undergo gastric-bypass surgery
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I am beyond impressed.
12:08
The prosecutor pointed to photos of mushrooms Dr May said looked like death caps in Patterson's possession.
Dr Rogers also applauded the police investigation into Patterson and the efforts investigators went to.
The jury heard police even checked what the Wilkinsons (Ian Wilkinson pictured centre) had eaten the night before the lunch from the local pub.
Dr Rogers said it was 'easy to identify' where Patterson went wrong looking back on it now.
'I suggest to you that the accused did think she would get away with these crimes and never imagined the doctors would so quickly identify that death caps were involved,' Dr Rogers said.
www.dailymail.co.uk
Prosecutor alleges Patterson deliberately killed or tried to kill her guests
Dr Rogers said the jury should have no difficulty in concluding Patterson had deliberately killed and tried to kill her lunch guests.The prosecutor pointed to photos of mushrooms Dr May said looked like death caps in Patterson's possession.
Dr Rogers also applauded the police investigation into Patterson and the efforts investigators went to.
The jury heard police even checked what the Wilkinsons (Ian Wilkinson pictured centre) had eaten the night before the lunch from the local pub.
Dr Rogers said it was 'easy to identify' where Patterson went wrong looking back on it now.
'I suggest to you that the accused did think she would get away with these crimes and never imagined the doctors would so quickly identify that death caps were involved,' Dr Rogers said.
Erin Patterson mushroom murder trial LIVE updates
Follow Daily Mail Australia's live coverage of accused mushroom chef Erin Patterson's murder trial here.
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Her defence might as well pack up and go home..! 
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it's a joke from the show Black Adder
12:14
'We say the accused has told numerous lies,' Dr Rogers said.
'She lied about cancer, but her evidence on the cancer lie changed during the trial.
'She lied to close family members about an incredibly serious issue.
'She lied about the dehydrator.
'It was not a lie told in the heat of the moment.'
Dr Rogers said the lie was set in motion the moment she dumped the dehydrator.
'It was a calculated and planned deception,' she said.
Dr Rogers said Patterson lied about foraging for mushrooms and told variations of that lie to health officials.
'Not in the heat of the moment, lies that were repeated over time,' she said.
www.dailymail.co.uk
The many alleged lies told by Patterson
The prosecutor is now explaining to the jury the numerous alleged lies told by Patterson.'We say the accused has told numerous lies,' Dr Rogers said.
'She lied about cancer, but her evidence on the cancer lie changed during the trial.
'She lied to close family members about an incredibly serious issue.
'She lied about the dehydrator.
'It was not a lie told in the heat of the moment.'
Dr Rogers said the lie was set in motion the moment she dumped the dehydrator.
'It was a calculated and planned deception,' she said.
Dr Rogers said Patterson lied about foraging for mushrooms and told variations of that lie to health officials.
'Not in the heat of the moment, lies that were repeated over time,' she said.
Erin Patterson mushroom murder trial LIVE updates
Follow Daily Mail Australia's live coverage of accused mushroom chef Erin Patterson's murder trial here.
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Key Event
1m ago
'Starkest lie' was told about gastric-bypass surgery, prosecutor alleges
By Joseph Dunstan
Dr Rogers says "perhaps the starkest lie" was evidence from the accused that she had planned to undergo gastric-bypass surgery a few months after the lunch.
"The defence will argue this was not a lie, they will say she did have an appointment with the ENRICH clinic to discuss weight-loss options," Dr Rogers says.
"But that is not what she said to you in her evidence."
The prosecutor recaps that after it was made clear in court that gastric-bypass surgery was not offered at that clinic, the accused told the court she must have been "mistaken" and had been also considering liposuction at the time.
"There's no way that the accused's earlier evidence can be twisted to fit that new claim," Dr Rogers tells the jury.
"What the accused plainly said was that she was going to 'have surgery soon' at that appointment at the ENRICH clinic and that appointment was for that."
BBM
1m ago
'Starkest lie' was told about gastric-bypass surgery, prosecutor alleges
By Joseph Dunstan
Dr Rogers says "perhaps the starkest lie" was evidence from the accused that she had planned to undergo gastric-bypass surgery a few months after the lunch.
"The defence will argue this was not a lie, they will say she did have an appointment with the ENRICH clinic to discuss weight-loss options," Dr Rogers says.
"But that is not what she said to you in her evidence."
The prosecutor recaps that after it was made clear in court that gastric-bypass surgery was not offered at that clinic, the accused told the court she must have been "mistaken" and had been also considering liposuction at the time.
"There's no way that the accused's earlier evidence can be twisted to fit that new claim," Dr Rogers tells the jury.
"What the accused plainly said was that she was going to 'have surgery soon' at that appointment at the ENRICH clinic and that appointment was for that."
BBM
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'What would you do?': Crown asks jury to examine accused's actions
Dr Rogers has asked the 14 jurors to personally think about what they would do if this was a “horrible accident”.“If you were told the meal you had cooked and served your family was thought to possibly contain death cap mushrooms, what would you do?” she asked.
“Would you go into self-preservation mode, would you race away from the hospital and do who knows what, would you be reluctant to receive treatment … would you lie about the source of the ingredients … for days.
“No. That’s not what you’d do.
“You’d do everything you could to help the people you love.”
She said you would tell officials “every skerrick of information” in order for your loved ones to receive the right treatment.
Dr Rogers added that you would also “move mountains” to get your children to hospital as soon as possible if you thought there was a possibility they had consumed the poison.
“And you would gladly receive all of the medical treatment you could get your hands on,” she added.
But she told the jury Erin acted the way she did “because she knew what she had done”.
Dr Rogers said she panicked not because she realised she had made a “grave foraging mistake”, but because doctors had figured out death cap mushrooms were behind the illnesses.
She said “innocent panic” did not explain the extensive and prolonged lengths she went to in order to “cover up” what she did.
“It does not explain why the accused chose to persist with lies when the lives of the lunch guests were at stake,” she said.
12.20pm
Prosecutor Nanette Rogers, SC, said panic did not explain the “extensive and prolonged” efforts Patterson engaged in to cover up what she had done, and why she persisted with lies even when the lives of the lunch guests were at stake.
In her closing address, Rogers asked the jurors what they would have done if they had served a meal containing death cap mushrooms to guests.
“Would you go into self-preservation mode? Would you race away from the hospital and do who-knows-what for an hour and a half? Would you be reluctant to receive treatment? ... Would you lie about the source of the ingredients to medical practitioners and Department of Health officials for days?” Rogers said.
“That’s not what you’d do. You’d do everything you could to help the people you love.”
Patterson acted the way she did after the lunch was because she knew what she did, Rogers said.
“The only surprise for her was that the medical staff had identified death cap mushroom poisoning [as the potential cause] so quickly,” she told the jury.
“They had a provisional diagnosis ... before she had presented herself to hospital. When they told her what they suspected the cause of the illness was, she panicked ... she panicked because they were already onto it.”
www.theage.com.au
‘You’d do everything you could’: Jurors asked what they would have done
By
The jury has been urged to reject suggestions that Erin Patterson panicked and that was why she engaged in the conduct that included dumping the food dehydrator.Prosecutor Nanette Rogers, SC, said panic did not explain the “extensive and prolonged” efforts Patterson engaged in to cover up what she had done, and why she persisted with lies even when the lives of the lunch guests were at stake.
In her closing address, Rogers asked the jurors what they would have done if they had served a meal containing death cap mushrooms to guests.
“Would you go into self-preservation mode? Would you race away from the hospital and do who-knows-what for an hour and a half? Would you be reluctant to receive treatment? ... Would you lie about the source of the ingredients to medical practitioners and Department of Health officials for days?” Rogers said.
“That’s not what you’d do. You’d do everything you could to help the people you love.”
Patterson acted the way she did after the lunch was because she knew what she did, Rogers said.
“The only surprise for her was that the medical staff had identified death cap mushroom poisoning [as the potential cause] so quickly,” she told the jury.
“They had a provisional diagnosis ... before she had presented herself to hospital. When they told her what they suspected the cause of the illness was, she panicked ... she panicked because they were already onto it.”
Erin Patterson murder trial day 33 as it happened: Accused mushroom cook lied to authorities and in witness box, prosecutor says in concluding argument; defence argues no intent, panic explains actions
Inside courtroom four in Morwell, Patterson, on trial for murder, listened intently as prosecutor Nanette Rogers, SC, concluded her closing argument, and defence barrister Colin Mandy, SC, commenced his.
12:16
The jury heard Patterson clearly spoke of a medical issue to her lunch guests.
Dr Rogers reminded the jury Patterson never had a diagnosis of cancer.
'Perhaps the starkest lie is when the accused sat in the witness box and told you she was going to have gastric bypass surgery,' Dr Rogers said.
Dr Rogers reminded the jury when pressed, Patterson claimed to have an appointment at the ENRICH Clinic in September 2023.
'This claim was investigated quickly,' Dr Rogers said.
The clinic had never offered such surgery, the jury was told.
www.dailymail.co.uk
Jury told about Patterson's 'starkest lie'
Dr Rogers (pictured) alleged Patterson lied to police about being helpful to health officials and she lied to the jury about why she invited her guests to lunch.The jury heard Patterson clearly spoke of a medical issue to her lunch guests.
Dr Rogers reminded the jury Patterson never had a diagnosis of cancer.
'Perhaps the starkest lie is when the accused sat in the witness box and told you she was going to have gastric bypass surgery,' Dr Rogers said.
Dr Rogers reminded the jury when pressed, Patterson claimed to have an appointment at the ENRICH Clinic in September 2023.
'This claim was investigated quickly,' Dr Rogers said.
The clinic had never offered such surgery, the jury was told.
Erin Patterson mushroom murder trial LIVE updates
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