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

[Shortfusepsb]

But I wonder. Because it was beef wellington, mushrooms were on the radar. But if they had eaten brownies laced with Death Cap powder, would that have been discovered? Not the most common of food borne toxins.

Multiple family deaths within a common timeframe - That would result in autopsy and toxicology.

 

[MsMarple]

Daughter says she has never been mushroom picking​

​

By Tim Callanan​

The police officer asks Erin's daughter what her favourite food is and she replies "ice cream".

She is asked if, when she cooks with her mother, they ever used mushrooms and she says no.

Erin's daughter says she has never been mushroom picking with her mother and has never seen any wild mushrooms while out with her mother.

She says they sometimes buy mushrooms from the supermarket in Korumburra and she sometimes eats them.

She can't remember the last time they bought mushrooms.

She says she has never been to an Asian grocer with her mother.

Erin's daughter explains they have a house in Glen Waverley and last went there in the school holidays.

She says she didn't go to any supermarkets with her mother on that trip.

15m ago

'Mum told me' dinner was beef Wellington leftovers​

​

By Tim Callanan​

The questions now turn to the meal. Erin's daughter is asked about her mother's cooking and she says her mother is a good cook and they sometimes help her with cooking.

She is asked where she was when her mother was making dinner on the day of the lunch and she says she was on the computer.

"How did you know it was leftovers from the lunch?" she is asked.

"Mum told me," she replies.

Erin's daughter is asked if she noticed her mother preparing any food on the day before the lunch and she says that she didn't see her making anything.

Key Event
19m ago

Testimony of Erin Patterson's daughter continues​

​

By Tim Callanan​

The playback to the court of video recording of the police interview with Erin Patterson's daughter was paused at the end of yesterday, but is now resuming.

Her daughter is explaining that she and her brother were taken to hospital in Melbourne on the Monday after the lunch and had a blood test and another test the following day.

She is asked if she felt sick at all and she says no.

The police officer interviewing her asks what happened at the hospital and she says she saw her mother and spoke to her but can't remember what they spoke about.

"We just got told we were getting a check to make sure we weren't sick," she says.

She says she and her brother stayed with their mother on Tuesday and went back to school on Wednesday.

Erin Patterson took son on hours-long drive despite feeling sick, murder trial hears — as it happened

Erin Patterson is accused of murdering three relatives by serving them a beef Wellington that contained death cap mushrooms. Look back at how the day in court unfolded.

www.abc.net.au

 

[MsMarple]

Police recording of interview with Erin's son is now being played​

By Kristian Silva​

As the video interview of Erin Patterson’s daughter comes to an end, Ms Patterson appears to become emotional, slightly rocking back and forth in her seat

The jury is now shown the second interview, conducted with her then-14-year-old son. It was conducted on the same day as the daughter’s interview, August, 16, 2023, about two weeks after the fatal lunch.

The footage depicts the teenager sitting in a green armchair, across from a police officer.

 

[MsMarple]

All my posts are from:

Erin Patterson took son on hours-long drive despite feeling sick, murder trial hears — as it happened

Erin Patterson is accused of murdering three relatives by serving them a beef Wellington that contained death cap mushrooms. Look back at how the day in court unfolded.

www.abc.net.au

Unless otherwise stated.

 

[MsMarple]

The police interview with Erin Patterson's son is now being played to the court. The court room is told the recording will go for about one hour and 40 minutes.

Erin's son gives his name and confirms his age.

He is asked what he thinks it means to tell the truth and he replies "something that's right". He confirms he is going to tell the officer what really happened.

He says he knows he is there to talk about the lunch which led to the deaths of three people.

Erin's son names the four guests at the lunch and explains his relationship to the four people.

He says the lunch happened at his mother's house and says his father was invited but didn't come. He doesn't know why his father didn't come.

 

[Megnut]

You wouldn’t be able to hide the level of death caps (30gms) you would need to be sure they died in a brownie, in my opinion.

Also if she served brownies or muffins people could decline them, as not everyone eats sweet food like that. But you can’t decline the main meal, that would be rude.

What’s the other case you’re referencing about the girlfriend?

No specific case. A common theme across many IME.

Oh, I understand why it was the main course, I just wondered whether, had she chosen a different main course, would the culprit ever been identified?

Autopsies, toxicology, of course, but I can't imagine Death Cap toxin is on the short list. I suppose they'd keep looking until they figured it out.

JMO

 

[MsMarple]

Simon and Erin Patterson's relationship 'very negative'​

By Tim Callanan​

He is asked about his parents' relationship and says when he was about seven years of age they "had a few arguments" and his mother moved house but they were never divorced.

He says neither his mother nor his father had another relationship. He explains he goes to stay with his father over weekends and he drops them off at school on Monday morning.

Erin's son says his mother used to come to his father's house on Friday nights and they would all have dinner together. He estimates this was when he was about 8 or 9 years old.

He describes the relationship between his parents as "very negative". He says they wouldn't talk to each other about getting joint access to the app which contains school reports.

He says his father kept trying to convince his children to keep staying with him over weekends but "they never did anything" when they stayed with him so he didn't want to.

 

[MsMarple]

Erin's son is asked about family relationships​

By Tim Callanan​

The conversation now turns to the lunch and Erin's son says her mother organised the lunch but didn't tell them why and there was no mention of Simon Patterson being invited.

He says Erin had had Don and Gail Patterson over for dinner before but never Ian and Heather Wilkinson.

The police officer asks Erin's son about Erin's relationship with Don and Gail Patterson and he says they sometimes went to their place for events.

He doesn't recall "a whole lot" about the family's relationship with Ian and Heather Wilkinson and he says "it's not a negative one but it's not strong

 

[MsMarple]

Son saw his mother preparing a salad​

By Tim Callanan​

Erin's son is now talking about the day of the lunch.

He says his friend stayed at his house on the Friday night before the lunch. He says Erin told him about the lunch on the Saturday morning.

He tells the officer interviewing him that he and his sister and a friend went to see a movie in Leongatha on the day of the lunch.

All three were then picked up from the cinema by his father and driven back to Erin's house. He says he said hello to the lunch guests.

Erin's son says she told him she wanted to talk to the guests about something and the children didn't need to be there. He says he saw her preparing a salad but didn't see any other food.

 

[MsMarple]

https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/courts-law/erin-patterson-trial-video-evidence-of-mushroom-cooks-daughter-to-continue/news-story/8bf876ea681c576d1c2b5726bdc7324b

Erin Patterson trial: Video evidence of mushroom cook’s daughter to continue​

Alleged mushroom poisoner Erin Patterson’s young daughter ate “leftovers” from the deadly lunch because her mother told her, a court has been told.
A video of Erin Patterson’s young daughter being interviewed by police is being played to the alleged poisoner’s triple-murder trial.

When the video resumed in court on Friday, the young girl told her interviewer she was served “leftovers” for dinner the following night.

“How did you know it was leftovers?” the interviewer asked.

“Mum told me,” the girl responded.

“I remember I was asking what we were having that night. She said she was making leftovers from yesterday’s lunch.”

Prosecutors allege the children’s meal was not contaminated with death cap mushrooms.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

https://www.themercury.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/the-mushroom-cook/erin-patterson-murder-trial-live-mushroom-cook-in-court-for-day-9-of-trial-daughter-gives-evidence/live-coverage/5b00095b38ee1f7a50ee8ccc790fc13c?amp

'Very negative': Son talks Erin, Simon's relationship​

The 14-year-old told the interviewer his dad, Erin’s estranged husband Simon, was also invited to the lunch, but did not attend.
When asked by the interviewer to describe his parents’ relationship, he said it was “very negative” before the lunch.

“I know dad does a lot of things to hurt mum,” he said.

He spoke about there being issues when it came to school fees.

The 14-year-old said he and his sister had stopped staying at their dad’s house.
“He never did anything with us at the weekends,” he said.

 

[MsMarple]

Erin Patterson took son on hours-long drive despite feeling sick, murder trial hears — as it happened

Erin Patterson is accused of murdering three relatives by serving them a beef Wellington that contained death cap mushrooms. Look back at how the day in court unfolded.

www.abc.net.au

Son can't recall dinner on the day of the lunch​

By Tim Callanan​

Erin's son is asked about what he saw when he returned to the house after seeing the film and he says there was some small talk with Don Patterson about the flying lessons he was taking.

He says he doesn't know what the guests were talking about and doesn't know what they were eating but saw a fruit platter and some other food.

He says the guests stayed for about half an hour after he got home. After the guests left, he and his friend played computer games and then his friend was driven home around 5pm by Erin, with all of the children in the car.

He can't remember what they had for dinner that night.

 

[Little Jack]

Son saw his mother preparing a salad​

By Tim Callanan​

Erin's son is now talking about the day of the lunch.

He says his friend stayed at his house on the Friday night before the lunch. He says Erin told him about the lunch on the Saturday morning.

He tells the officer interviewing him that he and his sister and a friend went to see a movie in Leongatha on the day of the lunch.

All three were then picked up from the cinema by his father and driven back to Erin's house. He says he said hello to the lunch guests.

Erin's son says she told him she wanted to talk to the guests about something and the children didn't need to be there. He says he saw her preparing a salad but didn't see any other food.

A salad? Whaaat why was she making a salad in the morning right before a large luncheon party where there will be no salad

 

[Little Jack]

What if the children had come home early, while the wellingtons were still being eaten? My children would immediately want to see what was being eaten and grandma and grandpa would want to offer them a bite.

It just boggles my mind how risky all this was to her own kids having deadly poison in the house at all.

I know it's ridiculous to try to understand the reasoning but I keep trying.

 

[MsMarple]

It would be so much easier if the trial was televised.

 

[MsMarple]

What if the children had come home early, while the wellingtons were still being eaten? My children would immediately want to see what was being eaten and grandma and grandpa would want to offer them a bite.

It just boggles my mind how risky all this was to her own kids having deadly poison in the house at all.

I know it's ridiculous to try to understand the reasoning but I keep trying.

That’s an interesting thought. And to add, did Erin dehydrate anything else after the death caps? Was it a one off just for those foraged mushrooms? And if so… why? Did she know she couldn’t contaminate other foods if she used the dehydrator? JMO

 

[MsMarple]

Erin's son can't recall speaking to his mother about the lunch​

By Tim Callanan​

He says he spent about 30 minutes with the lunch guests and he agrees that "everyone seems happy" when asked by the interviewing police officer.

Erin's son says he can't remember his sister coming inside and his sister wasn't in the car when Erin drove his friend home.

He says he didn't have any conversation with his mother about how the lunch went after the guests left.

He says he presumes his mother was tidying up the kitchen and he remembers taking some lunch plates to the dishwasher. He says he can't remember if there was any leftovers on the plates.

Erin's son says he and his friend played a game with headphones on for about two or two and a half hours and can't remember taking any toilet or drink breaks.

He says he went upstairs around 5.30pm to tell his mother his friend had to go home soon. They left the home shortly after to take his friend home.

Playback of the recording is then paused while the court takes a break.

 

[MsMarple]

Erin appears emotional while hearing son's interview​

By Kristian Silva​

Erin Patterson was going through a range of emotions during her son’s evidence. At times she nodded along as he recounted details about the times that certain things happened, or how the house was arranged.

At other moments, she appeared upset, swallowing hard and dabbing her eyes with a tissue.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

I'm totally against turning any kind of trial into an event to entertain people.

I hope we never televise them.

 

[MsMarple]

Erin tells son she was 'a bit sick' the day after lunch​

By Tim Callanan​

Playback of the police interview with Erin Patterson's son has resumed.

He says he returned to their home with his mother about 6pm after dropping his friend home. His father dropped his sister to Erin's house later that night.

He says his sister got home around 9pm but he is not sure whether his father came into the house.

The police officer conducting the interview is now asking Erin's son about the day after the lunch. He says he saw his mother in the morning drinking coffee and she told him she was "feeling a bit sick" and had diarrhea.

He says they were supposed to go to church but didn't end up going because his mother was unwell.

He says Erin drove him to a flying lesson in Tyabb that morning but he "doesn't know why she did that" as she was unwell.