VERDICT WATCH Australia - 3 dead after eating wild mushrooms, Leongatha, Victoria, Aug 2023 #16 *Arrest*

[BreakingNews]

SOOOOOO, looks like no decision until next week?

They still have all day Saturday to deliberate. I took it to mean they can give their verdict any time except after 4.15 pm (even on Saturday) but as they can't deliberate on Sunday, there will be no verdict then.

 

[Porky1]

One of the ladies reportedly told someone that afternoon prior to falling ill that the meal had been delicious.

Apparently fresh deathcaps taste delicious.

Just a theory here. Possibly the dried powdered mushrooms lost the "bad" smell on being heated and added an element of tastiness?

Some foods do smell bad but taste great. Vegemite anyone?

I recall reading that the trial mushroom expert mentioned they were considered delicious. I am not going to look for a source at this point but I found that surprising.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

.Deleted my post.

Sorry I misunderstood
I was referring to people in the ACT who ate death cap mushrooms saying they were delicious.
I'm not sure if it was one who survived or one who said it before they died.

 

[Porky1]

If she is found not guilty, it seems many want EP to be punished anyway...

That’s sad. We are purely observers.

I’ve tried to remain objective. I can’t imagine what it would feel like to be charged if you are in fact innocent.

 

[BreakingNews]

I recall reading that the trial mushroom expert mentioned they were considered delicious. I am not going to look for a source at this point but I found that surprising.

I remember that also. I wonder how it was determined that they were delicious? Who put their hand up to undertake that research?

 

[Porky1]

Yes I was just remembering that too.
It was said they were delicious. One of the ACT survivors or victims before they died.

I was wondering whether it was an ACT victim.

That was very sad and surprising. I innocently picked mushrooms, filling a bucket in a few hours and passing over to Mum to cook regularly in my childhood. I’d usually go by myself, from 6 yrs old? Just me and our dog.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Another hour and a bit to go for deliberating today.

 

[loreet]

Re the charges for Simon, you could search the thread. I am not 100% certain but Iam not sure if there was enough evidence to proceed. The lesser charges were dropped.

These are the incidents which the (dropped) charges against EP for attempting to kill Simon stem:
Patterson first allegedly attempted to murder Simon between November 16 and 17, 2021.
Then again she attempted to murder Simon in 2022, between May 25 and 27, and on September 6.
And also the July 29 2023 lunch, because of the invitation to the deadly Beef Wellington lunch, which Simon declined.

 

[Scooby-Doo]

To add to katy's point, it wasn't just deathcap mushrooms, but powdered deathcap mushrooms. If Erin had actually scraped any mushrooms off, it would have been the button mushrooms (the only type of mushroom flesh that was visible in the leftovers according to the Mycologist).

The notion that Erin or her kids could avoid being poisoned by a tainted wellington just because the non poisonous button mushrooms were scraped off is ridiculous. Especially since the information came from Erin herself, who repeatedly lied to family members, to health officials, to child protective services, to the police, and to the court.

For those that still see truth in this story, ask yourself this:
Would you be happy to eat the meat out of a leftover wellington that was crammed full of powdered deathcaps and cooked in the oven?
It's okay, you can scrape the button mushrooms off the top first.

.

I don't think Erin scraped any mushrooms off, as there were no mushrooms on the meat given to the kids.

Her son said his mother heated up the meat, which she had cooked a day earlier, which was served with potatoes and beans

Senior Constable Adrian Martinez-Villalobis told the jury PATTERSON HAD PROVIDED THE PASSCODE FOR THE PROPERTY GATE AND INSTRUCTIONS ON WHERE THE LEFTOVERS SHOULD BE ..!!

The beef Wellington leftovers were located in a brown paper WOOLWORTHS BAG ( she had that bag handy! ) in an outdoor waste bin, WHERE PATTERSON HAD SUGGESTED, the senior constable said.

One scientist, Camille Truong, results come back negative, as her testing was under a microscope, with a small piece, and most likely the safe one Erin had, and half ate in front of her relatives

However, scientist Toxicologist Dimitri Gerostamoulos told the jury he found death cap mushroom toxins inside the meal's remains when he performed chemical testing.


Erin had this planned, even waiting for the police to turn up and tell them where to find the bin !!

But she wouldn't be happy that Simon didn't turn up to eat his death cap mushroom beef wellington at lunch

Because she threw her safe one out, and the testing has picked up the safe and poison death cap toxin, which has made authorities suspicious

Mushroom cook sick day after meal, daughter tells court

www.9news.com.au

 

[Porky1]

Another hour and a bit to go for deliberating today.

Wouldn’t it be great if status reports/updates were required, with a % completion and ETA on delivering next ‘phases’.

I can’t imagine how draining this trial must have been for all those involved. I hope the jury are able to return home to their loved ones soon.

 

[Deleted member 363451]

For many years, people would pick mushrooms without a second thought and yes eat them and feed them to their guests.
There was never anything in the news about poisonous mushrooms or if there was it was something that happened in other countries

There were never any warnings or campaigns, until the deaths of people in the ACT.
It was an eye opener.
Those poisonings in the ACT changed everything.

Until those ACT poisonings people had been going about picking and eating mushrooms without a second thought.
Everyone thought if you stuck to the white ones you'd be ok, and before what happened in the ACT, even the experts said the ones to avoid were ones that weren't white.

It was the ACT poisonings that made me stop picking mushrooms.
These new to us death cap ones looked to me like ones I would have thought were ok and we would have eaten them.

Funny that no one was charged in those earlier deaths.
For a moment I was forgetting that these days there is no such thing as an accident.




.

Anyone who would eat mushrooms that are white underneath and have a ring around the bottom of the stem is just careless IMO. My brother and I were taught by our father when foraging with him, not to pick any mushroom that was white underneath. Erin is someone who does her research. She told the court that she has in fact researched some varieties of mushrooms. Also, she picked all of the mushrooms growing on her property at Leongatha, in case her dog ate poisonous mushrooms and yet she would have has believe that she merrily picked the Death Caps and fed them to Simon's relatives without doing any research?

 

[TootsieFootsie]

I was wondering whether it was an ACT victim.

Yes it was.
Sorry my train of thought had gone back to then when people died, but no one was charged.

 

[Deleted member 363451]

I was wondering whether it was an ACT victim.

That was very sad and surprising. I innocently picked mushrooms, filling a bucket in a few hours and passing over to Mum to cook regularly in my childhood. I’d usually go by myself, from 6 yrs old? Just me and our dog.

They could have been tourists.

 

[LadyL]

If she is found innocent, then the Prosecution didn't do enough to prove her guilt.
If a retrial, the Prosecution still has to prove her guilt. No where does she have to prove her innocence.

Imagine the stress on the family; and on us, if there is a retrial! We'd have to forget everything we have heard, and return to no preconceived thoughts.

we are under no obligation to forget everything we have heard
the only stressful thing would be worrying about a not guilty verdict again IMO

 

[TootsieFootsie]

I hope none of the jurors lost their jobs over taking time off work.
I have heard it has happened in the past.

I also hope it hasn't affected their finances too much.
I hope it hasn't affected their personal and family life too much also

Well done to the jurors whatever the verdict.

 

[Deleted member 363451]

we are under no obligation to forget everything we have heard
the only stressful thing would be worrying about a not-guilty verdict again

Last time I looked, we weren't on the jury...

 

[MaxDecimus13]

Re the charges for Simon, you could search the thread. I am not 100% certain but Iam not sure if there was enough evidence to proceed. The lesser charges were dropped.

I also wonder whether the prosecution felt it would damage Simon's other testimony in court.

It could have ended up looking like he qas convinced she'd tried to kill him so had motive to exaggerate or make up claims about the plates etc

 

[Deleted member 363451]

I just came back from ALDI, where I bought 500 g of mushrooms, amongst other items. They will make more than one meal. Erin must have really loved mushrooms to have eaten 1kg before her fateful lunch.

 

[Susjay]

Anyone who would eat mushrooms that are white underneath and have a ring around the bottom of the stem is just careless IMO. My brother and I were taught by our father when foraging with him, not to pick any mushroom that was white underneath. Erin is someone who does her research. She told the court that she has in fact researched some varieties of mushrooms. Also, she picked all of the mushrooms growing on her property at Leongatha, in case her dog ate poisonous mushrooms and yet she would have has believe that she merrily picked the Death Caps and fed them to Simon's relatives without doing any research?

Think the picking mushrooms to protect dog story is likely a red herring.

 

[Susjay]

Hey fellow Canadian. I'm on the opposite end of the country.

Aussie gal here- more old lady than gal to be honest!