Australia - 3 dead after eating wild mushrooms, Leongatha, Victoria, Aug 2023 #8 *Arrest*

[MsMarple]

I’m timing out for a bit. Y’all keep posting. Thanks!!

 

[drsleuth]

now12.47 AEST
Simon urged family members to visit hospital, his uncle, Ian, tells court

Around dawn the next morning, Heather had a phone conversation with the other lunch guests and discovered they were also unwell, jurors are told.

Erin’s estranged husband, Simon Patterson, visited Ian and Heather later that morning.

Ian describes himself as “quite unwell” when Simon arrived.

Don and Gail had called an ambulance and Simon told his aunt and uncle – Ian and Heather – they should do the same, the court hears.

Simon then rang an ambulance. Due to ambulance delays, Simon drove Ian and Heather to Leongatha hospital.

19m ago12.28 AEST
Ian Wilkinson says he and wife became ill that evening

Erin and Simon’s son and his friend then returned home, which cut short the conversation about Erin’s illness, the court hears.

Ian then led the guests to pray for Erin.

He recalls leaving Erin’s house at about 2.45pm, as he and Heather had guests coming over at 3pm.

Ian and Heather went to bed at about 10.30 or 11pm that evening, jurors are told.

He says before they had fallen asleep Heather “abruptly” got up from bed and vomited in the laundry:

I felt alright when Heather initially got up. But it wasn’t very long after that I also felt the need to go and vomit.

The couple were vomiting and had diarrhoea through the evening, the court hears.

He says he and Heather did not return to bed that night as they needed to stay close to the toilets in the house.

Erin Patterson trial day six – as it happened

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www.theguardian.com

 

[Eloise]

It seems odd to make it so obvious that her plate was different. Perhaps it shows intent to to deliberately kill them (rather than just have them injured or sickened) because the colour of the plate wouldn't matter with no living witnesses.

edit: though even then, it didn't kill quickly enough for them to be unable to say anything to anyone about the lunch. Very odd behaviour, in my opinion

 

[drsleuth]

Key Event
4m ago

Ian Wilkinson loses weeks of memory following death cap poisoning​

​

By Judd Boaz​

Ian says the last thing he remembers being given a charcoal substance to drink at Dandenong Hospital.

He tells the court he remembers being put into a "pod" next to Don and Gail Patterson, but did not have a conversation with them.

The prosecution tells him he was intubated, transferred to the Austin Hospital for death cap mushroom poisoning.

Ian says he is now aware of these facts.

His hospital journey and recovery is recounted to him, and he confirms he was eventually discharged on September 21.


Key Event
3m ago

Defence begins cross-examination of Ian Wilkinson​

​

By Tim Callanan​

Ian Wilkinson is now being questioned by Erin Patterson's defence lawyer Colin Mandy SC.

Mr Wilkinson confirms he was friendly with Erin when he saw her at the church where he was pastor and that he saw her at various family gatherings.

Ian agrees with Mr Mandy that his wife Heather visited Erin occasionally to deliver gifts for her children.

He says he understands Erin helped with broadcasting church services.

"I knew that she was involved at some level," he says.

Dying lunch guest's 'extremely abnormal' blood test results raised hospital alarm, court hears — as it happened

Ms Patterson is accused of murdering three relatives by serving them a beef Wellington laced with poisonous death cap mushrooms. Follow the trial in our live blog.

www.abc.net.au

 

[MrJ]

1m ago12.19 AEST

Erin told four guests she had 'life-threatening' cancer, court hears​

Ian is then asked what happened after the meal:



Erin spoke about a diagnostic test which showed a tumor, Ian says.

Erin Patterson trial day six – as it happened

This blog is now closed

www.theguardian.com

Knowing what we know now, EP's own defence even saying it's a lie, this just seems so cruel to arrange a lunch and (allegedly) deliberately poison your guests over a lie. If this is determined to be premeditated, this is monstrous behaviour. IMO

 

[drsleuth]

1m ago12.49 AEST

Ian was treated for death cap mushroom poisoning, court hears​

Ian and Heather were then transported to Dandenong hospital via ambulance due to suspicion of potential mushroom poisoning, the court hears.

Ian says while at Leongatha hospital he overheard staff talking about Erin being there too.

Under questioning by prosecutor Sarah Lenthall, Ian says he has no memory about his time at the Dandenong hospital after he consumed a charcoal substance drink.

He was then sedated, intubated and transferred to Austin hospital in Heidelberg where he was treated for death cap mushroom poisoning, the court hears.

Ian was later transferred to a rehabilitation ward before being discharged home on 21 September 2023, jurors are told.

Lenthall has finished examining Ian Wilkinson.

Erin Patterson trial day six – as it happened

This blog is now closed

www.theguardian.com

 

[drsleuth]

12.49pm

‘I could hear her vomiting’: The first sign something was very wrong​

​

Later that night, after the beef Wellington lunch and learning about Erin Patterson’s tumour, Ian and Heather Wilkinson went to bed a little later than usual.

Looking back, Ian can’t remember whether they skipped dinner or not. He prepared a little for his Sunday service the following day, crawled into bed and tried to sleep.

But he thinks both he and Heather failed to fall asleep that night. “I don’t think either of us had fallen asleep,” Ian remembers. “But Heather got up abruptly, out of the bed and made her way to the laundry, and I could hear her vomiting.”

It wasn’t long after Heather got out of bed that Ian felt the need to vomit, the jury heard.

“It continued right through the night. We had vomiting and diarrhoea.”

Asked by Prosecutor Jane Warren to estimate how many times he vomited or had diarrhoea, Ian responded that he couldn’t put a figure on it.

“We were starting to feel pretty washed out, but I was vomiting fairly regularly ... it settled down a bit as the night went on towards the morning,” he said.

Ian settled in a spot outside his toilet. Heather, he said, parked herself near another toilet in the bathroom.

Doctor reveals mushroom antidote was in short supply after fatal meal: Trial day six, as it happened

Of the four guests who dined on beef Wellington at Erin Patterson’s house in 2023, only one survived. On Tuesday, that guest – Ian Wilkinson – will tell his story for the first time when he takes the stand as a witness in the cook’s murder trial.

www.theage.com.au

 

[Eloise]

I just can't imagine sitting at a table, you having served up a meal to your guests, knowing it contained a deadly poison & just watch your guests eating, bite by bite, knowing what will happen in the hours a head, that is just so cold & EVIL!

All allegedly of course.......

Knowing what we know now, EP's own defence even saying it's a lie, this just seems so cruel to arrange a lunch and (allegedly) deliberately poison your guests over a lie. If this is determined to be premeditated, this is monstrous behaviour. IMO

Truly. I abhor and condemn all violence (other than self-defence when life is genuinely threatened), but there is something so cold, calculating and manipulative about making a deliberately poisoned meal, watching your victim eat it, while pretending nothing's wrong.

 

[drsleuth]

8m ago

Guest were 'happy' to attend lunch​

By Tim Callanan​

Ian Wilkinson says he was not present when Erin Patterson offered the lunch invitation to his wife Heather.

He says he didn't know that other people were invited but he was "very happy" to attend.

Ian confirms with Mr Mandy some of the previous evidence he gave about arriving at Erin Patterson's house for the lunch and conversations that happened before the lunch itself.

"It was clear to you that Erin was proud of the house that she'd invited you to?" Mr Mandy asks.

"I don't believe it was all that clear," Mr Wilkinson replies.


2m ago

Erin's pride in her own house disputed by Ian​

By Judd Boaz​

A debate over whether Erin Patterson was house-proud become a protracted discussion.

Mr Mandy asks whether it was Ian's impression that Erin was proud of her house, which Ian disagrees with.

After a pause, Mr Mandy brings up a previous statement made by Ian that said he believed Erin was in fact, proud of her house.

"On reflection I found those answers were not satisfactory," he says.

"I hadn't thought a great deal about the house and Erin being proud of the house and that sort of thing before you asked me those questions.

"Those answers weren't ... a fair representation of the events."

Ian says there was no tour of the house, and Erin's house did not form a big part of the group's conversation.

They eventually overcome the impasse and Ian agrees that Erin was probably proud of having built her house.

Dying lunch guest's 'extremely abnormal' blood test results raised hospital alarm, court hears — as it happened

Ms Patterson is accused of murdering three relatives by serving them a beef Wellington laced with poisonous death cap mushrooms. Follow the trial in our live blog.

www.abc.net.au

 

[drsleuth]

now13.03 AEST

Ian Wilkinson says lunch guests 'didn’t have a house tour'​

Erin Patterson’s lawyer, Colin Mandy SC, has begun his cross-examination of Ian.

He takes Ian to the point in time when the four lunch guests arrived at Erin’s house in Leongatha, which had been recently built.

Mandy puts to Ian that Erin was “proud of the house” she had invited the group to. Ian replies:

I don’t think it was that clear.

Mandy takes Ian to his previous evidence given in pre-trial hearings where he agreed that Erin was proud of her house:

On reflection, I felt those answers were not satisfactory.... I hadn’t thought a great deal about the house and Erin being proud of the house before you asked me those questions.... On reflection, I felt those answers weren’t... a fair representation of the events.

Ian says the guests “didn’t have a house tour” and Erin was not driving conversation about her house.

Erin Patterson trial day six – as it happened

This blog is now closed

www.theguardian.com

 

[drsleuth]

2m ago

Defence again question Ian Wilkinson's memory​

By Judd Boaz​

Colin Mandy SC continues his questioning of Ian Wilkinson's memory over previous statements.

He asks if Mr Wilkinson remembers the beef Wellingtons being served from a tray.

When Ian says he cannot recall, Mr Mandy raises a statement made by Ian to police on September 5, 2023 while he was recuperating in the Austin Hospital.

Mr Mandy says Ian mentioned the beef Wellington being served from a tray in this statement.

"Has that refreshed your memory?" Mr Mandy asks.

Ian says he think it has, and he now believes he can picture it in his mind.

There is a long pause before Mr Mandy suggest the court breaks for lunch.

Dying lunch guest's 'extremely abnormal' blood test results raised hospital alarm, court hears — as it happened

Ms Patterson is accused of murdering three relatives by serving them a beef Wellington laced with poisonous death cap mushrooms. Follow the trial in our live blog.

www.abc.net.au

 

[drsleuth]

28m ago13.10 AEST
Ian Wilkinson says he saw meal served at fatal lunch come from an oven tray

Mandy turns to Ian’s evidence about how Erin placed the beef wellington lunch on plates.

“Can I suggest to you, you saw them come from a tray, possibly an oven tray,” Mandy says.

After some back and forth, Mandy takes Ian to his evidence to police in September 2023 while at Austin hospital where he said the beef Wellingtons were possibly served on an oven tray.

Ian agrees this is what he told the police officers. He says this has jogged his memory.

29m ago13.11 AEST
A quick amendment, readers. Today’s crown prosecutor is Jane Warren, not Sarah Lenthall as previously stated.

26m ago13.14 AEST
The court has adjourned for a lunch break.

The trial will recommence at 2.15pm when Ian Wilkinson’s cross-examination will continue.

Erin Patterson trial day six – as it happened

This blog is now closed

www.theguardian.com

 

[whitelilac]

It's so hard reading this.....

 

[CityKid]

Got it, will do.

Huge thanks to you and @drsleuth and everyone else providing such comprehensive coverage (overnight for U.S. followers like me)!

 

[drsleuth]

32m ago

Seating arrangements at July 29 lunch​

By Judd Boaz​

During his testimony, the prosecution had Ian Wilkinson draw a diagram of the seating arrangements at the lunch where he and others were poisoned.

Here is where Ian says the guests sat on that day.

Seating arrangements at July 29 lunch. (ABC News)

Dying lunch guest's 'extremely abnormal' blood test results raised hospital alarm, court hears — as it happened

Ms Patterson is accused of murdering three relatives by serving them a beef Wellington laced with poisonous death cap mushrooms. Follow the trial in our live blog.

www.abc.net.au

 

[drsleuth]

Doctor reveals mushroom antidote was in short supply after fatal meal: Trial day six, as it happened

Of the four guests who dined on beef Wellington at Erin Patterson’s house in 2023, only one survived. On Tuesday, that guest – Ian Wilkinson – will tell his story for the first time when he takes the stand as a witness in the cook’s murder trial.

www.theage.com.au

1.04pm

‘Oh no, this is just a case of gastro’: The day after the lunch​

​

The jury is now hearing about the day after the lunch from guest Ian Wilkinson, who would become the only guest to survive the meal.

That morning – July 30, 2023 – Heather spoke on the phone with Don or Gail Patterson and learnt that they too were unwell.

Don Patterson (left), Gail Patterson, Heather Wilkinson and Ian Wilkinson were poisoned by a mushroom meal.

First, Ian called in sick. “I had time to ring another church member and arrange sending my sermon notes and the order of service by email to that person, and they were going to run the service in my absence,” Ian says.

Later, Simon Patterson knocked on the door to see if he could assist.

The jury heard that Simon was worried and asked them to call an ambulance. At that stage, his parents, Don and Gail, had already called an ambulance.

“Heather and I said, ‘Oh no, this is just a case of gastro. You know, in a few hours, we’ll be right’.”

The jury heard they eventually called an ambulance, but the operator told them there were delays and suggested they make their own way to hospital. Simon drove them to Korumburra, which was at capacity, so he took them to Leongatha.

“I was pretty keen to get to the hospital because I needed to find the toilet again,” Ian told jurors.

“So I went to the toilet and sat with Simon in the waiting area of the urgent care. Simon filled out forms on our behalf, and then we were ushered into the care area, and Simon left to go back to the church,” Ian said.

At Leongatha Hospital, Ian says he and Heather discussed the fact that lunch had been served on differently coloured plates. “I think she just plainly said there were different coloured plates in a conversation, wondering why we were ill,” Ian tells the court.

The jury hears that hospital staff soon determined they were likely experiencing food poisoning.

“My memory was that suspicion was falling on the meat,” Ian says, adding that he could not recall any reference to the mushrooms at that stage. Ian says they wanted to head home, but the doctors were worried about their health and told them they would be admitted to the ward.

“We did get some sleep. We were absolutely exhausted by this time,” Ian tells the court.

Ian says he didn’t need to use the toilet during the night.

Ian says they were abruptly awoken the next morning by a group of nurses who took them to the urgent care area, where a doctor awaited them.

1.14pm

Ian Wilkinson’s last memory of the aftermath of the lunch​

​

After first suspecting the eye fillet, Ian Wilkinson finally learned the cause of the food poisoning: mushrooms.

His doctor, the pastor recalled, had received communications from Dandenong Hospital indicating suspected mushroom poisoning.

“He was very frank, he said it’s an extremely serious situation. He said: ‘There is time-critical treatment available’. And he was very concerned that we be transported quickly to Dandenong,” Ian recalls.


“Arrangements were already in progress. It was during that conversation that the first ambulance arrived.”

Ian was loaded into the first ambulance. A second ambulance arrived, too.

When they got to the hospital, Ian said he could hear Gail Patterson’s voice in the pod next to him, but he had no conversations with her or Don.

The jury heard Ian’s last memory of the aftermath of the lunch was receiving a charcoal substance to drink at the hospital. He was then intubated and sedated, and later moved to the Austin Hospital, where he received treatment for death cap mushroom poisoning.

He was at the ICU at the Austin until August 12, 2023, when he was moved to a ward within the same hospital. On September 11, 2023, he was discharged to the rehabilitation ward at Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital for about two weeks, before returning home on September 21, 2023.

1.31pm

Book talk and beef Wellington: Ian and Don chatted about what they were reading as lunch was served​

By​

Defence barrister Colin Mandy, SC, has now started his cross-examination of Ian Wilkinson.

The jury heard that as Erin prepared the meal, Don Patterson and Ian discussed a book they had recently read.


Ian said he had overheard his wife and Gail Patterson offering to help serve the meal, but Erin had declined.

In that context, Ian said he’d noticed Erin plating the meal.

Here’s a brief exchange between him and Mandy on the topic:

Mandy: Did you see where Erin got the beef Wellingtons from?

Ian: No, I didn’t see that.

Mandy: I suggest to you that you saw them come from a tray, possibly an oven tray.

Ian: Yes, but I didn’t know where that tray came from. I only saw them at the kitchen bench.

Mandy: Do you have a recollection, though, now, of a tray?

Ian: Not a clear recollection.

Mandy: Can I suggest to you that you said previously that the veggies and beef Wellington were on plates served from a tray, possibly an oven tray. Does that assist your memory?

Ian: Yes, I think I’ve said that.

Mandy: And all of the beef Wellingtons came from that tray that you saw Erin … did you see Erin holding it, or was it on the bench?

Ian: I can’t recall.

Mandy then referred Ian to a conversation he had with police in the hospital on September 5, 2023, where he said that the veggies and beef Wellingtons were served from a tray, possibly an oven tray.

Mandy: Does that bring that image in your head or not really?

Ian: Um … yeah, I think it does.

 

[CityKid]

2m ago

Couple were 'camped' near bathrooms​

By Tim Callanan​

Ian Wilkinson explains he and his wife Heather were ill numerous times during the night.

"I was vomiting fairly regularly," he says.

He explains he "camped" outside one of the toilets in the house while his wife stayed near another bathroom in the house.

They both experienced vomiting and diarrhoea.

This is making me cry.

 

[drsleuth]

5m ago

Q+A from the Mushroom Case Daily podcast​

K
By Kristian Silva and Stephen Stockwell​

The ABC’s Mushroom Case Daily podcast team are on the ground in Morwell, bringing you episodes every day of the trial.

If you have a question, you can send it to: [email protected], and the team might answer it tonight on the show.

Q: How do we know the jury can be impartial given how widely publicized the case was prior to trial?
- The legal study students at Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School

A: This goes back to the very first day of the trial when that jury was empanelled. Justice Christopher Beale spoke to the jury panel and told them, if you cannot be impartial, you cannot sit on this trial.

So that means if they've already forged opinions about this case, if they've been obsessively reading the stories or listening to the podcast, they're not suitable for this jury. They need to be the kinds of people that can weigh up the evidence and ignore all of the media reporting and even conversations at the weekend with their family, and just look at what's presented to the court to make a decision.

The courts do give juries a fair amount of trust. They are held in high regard and there's a belief in the legal system that juries can follow the instructions set by judges.

Key Event
3m ago

The hearing has resumed​

By Joseph Dunstan​

Erin Patterson's defence lawyer Colin Mandy SC is cross-examining Ian Wilkinson, the sole surviving guest of the lunch.

He takes Mr Wilkinson back to the point in the lunch where Erin was plating up.

Dying lunch guest's 'extremely abnormal' blood test results raised hospital alarm, court hears — as it happened

Ms Patterson is accused of murdering three relatives by serving them a beef Wellington laced with poisonous death cap mushrooms. Follow the trial in our live blog.

www.abc.net.au

 

[drsleuth]

now05.23 BST
Ian Wilkinson says he remembers four plates that were the same

The trial has recommenced and Ian Wilkinson is back in the witness stand.

Under cross-examination, Wilkinson agrees that Erin did not give directions on where the plates should be placed on the table at the fateful beef wellington lunch.

He also agrees the four guests could have sat in any of the seats at the table.

Mandy says there were “not four plates that were the same.” Ian rejects this and says he remembers four grey plates and one smaller plate of a different colour.

Erin Patterson trial day six – as it happened

This blog is now closed

www.theguardian.com

 

[Scooby-Doo]

This is making me cry.

What a horrible thing to go through, it would have been horrendous