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

[drsleuth]

Erin Patterson told online friends she was ‘hiding powdered mushrooms in everything’, court hears: Trial day five, as it happened

Erin Patterson’s estranged husband Simon will continue providing evidence in her murder trial. Follow our live blog.

www.theage.com.au

3.16pm

Accused asked for advice on cooking a beef Wellington: witness​

​

Daniela Barkley told the court that cooking was one of the main topics of conversation among the Facebook group.


She said that in mid-July 2023, Erin asked the group whether anyone had previously cooked a beef Wellington and if they had any advice. The fatal lunch was served about two weeks later, on July 29, 2023.

“I just specifically remember the conversation because I didn’t actually know what a beef Wellington was because I’m mostly vegetarian,” Barkley said.

“So I made a joke about it: ‘No, but if I could, I’d make a tofu Wellington’. And everyone just thought that was awful. So we had a good laugh about that.”

Several days after that online conversation, Barkley told the jury, Erin shared a photo of a cut of meat and asked the group whether it was the right one to be used in a beef Wellington.

“We just all assumed that it was for her and the kids,” the witness said.


3.20pm

Erin told online friends she loved mushrooms​

By​

Defence counsel Colin Mandy, SC, has started his cross-examination of Daniela Barkley.

The jury has heard that Erin told members of the Facebook group at various times that she loved mushrooms.

“I always knew that about her,” Barkley said.

Erin also reported, reluctantly, that she had been to Simon’s house to clean it, Barkley said.

Barkley has now finished her evidence.

 

[Shortfusepsb]

They really are, I completely agree!!

Be careful there... Defense barristers always fluff around in the beginning, but they have a sting in their tail.

"appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak" - Sun Tzu

 

[drsleuth]

https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/courts-law/erin-patterson-trial-husband-simon-patterson-returns-to-the-witness-box/news-story/bdea7835aa0044ba5943359033192c67

Erin Patterson trial: True crime group reveals cook’s claim she was ‘hiding powdered mushrooms in everything’​

Alleged mushroom poisoner told her online true-crime Facebook group she was “hiding powdered mushrooms in everything”, a jury has heard.

6 min read
May 5, 2025 - 3:14PM


Messages purportedly from Ms Patterson to her online true-crime group have been shown to the jury at her triple murder trial on Monday.

“I’ve been hiding powdered mushrooms in everything. Mixed it into chocolate brownies yesterday, the kids had no idea,” one message reads. “So fun fact the dehydrator reduces mushroom mass by 90 per cent. Do you think woolies would mind if I put the dehydrator into their vegetable section and dry things before I buy them.”

A member of group, Daniela Barkley, told the court she was in a private chat with Ms Patterson sharing updates about their lives.

Ms Barkley told the jury Ms Patterson shared an update that she had purchased a dehydrator and was excited to dehydrate mushrooms.

She said she believed it was a few months before the lunch or “sometime in 2023”.

“Erin sent it to us she was excited about dehydrating all the mushrooms,” she said.



‘Bare minimum parent’: Mushroom cook’s messages

She responded at 8pm on December 5 and referenced child support after Simon filed a tax return listing him as separated in 2022.

“I’m sorry but I can’t stop thinking about the comment that Don made on the phone … that Simon can ‘reverse the single thing in his tax return’,” she said.

“That is mind boggling in its implication.”

Ms Patterson went on to say she wasn’t able to access the Family Tax Benefit due to the change, which was wort about $15,000 annually.

“We were basically lying to the government, telling them that we were a family with shared finances so they wouldn’t make him pay child support,” she said.

“I would have been entitled to about 30k a year child support from Simon … but I didn’t claim it because I foolishly trusted him to do right by me and the kids.”

She went on to claim Simon wanted to be a “bare minimum parent”.

More at link

 

[SouthAussie]

I’m surprised the prosecutor isn’t objecting but then I don’t know much about Australian courts vs US courts.

The defence was haranguing a victim when they were trying to show Simon in a bad light. Not always the best thing to do.

It could elicit sympathy from the Jury .. "He lost his parents and aunt horribly. Leave him alone".

 

[drsleuth]

'How sad she felt': Erin Patterson confided in online friends, court hears — as it happened

Erin Patterson's Facebook friends took to the witness box in her murder trial over a lunch served to her in-laws containing death cap mushrooms. Look back at how the hearing unfolded in our live blog.

www.abc.net.au

Key Event
1m ago

Six things we learned today​

By Judd Boaz​

Proceedings have finished for the day in Courtroom 4.

We saw the end of Simon Patterson's testimony, as well as the introduction of three new witnesses in the form of Erin Patterson's Facebook friends.

Christine Hunt, Daniela Barkley and Jenny Hay provided their testimony about Erin Patterson's online correspondence in the weeks and months leading up to the July 29 lunch.

Here's what we learned:

1. 1.Simon Patterson remains upset about an "inflamatory" message sent to a group chat by Erin. While the message was not read out in court, Simon says the message accused him of certain things in front of his parents, and that he was still upset by it.
2. 2.Simon denies accusing Erin in her hospital room. In court today, Simon was asked if he said to Erin, during a conversation mentioning the dehydrator, "Is that what you used to poison them?". Simon denied ever having said it.
3. 3.Erin told Facebook friends she was in a "controlling" relationship with Simon. Christine Hunt, a Facebook friend of Erin, told the court Erin had described her marriage as "controlling" and "coercive", and that she was unhappy with Simon's level of family commitment.
4. 4.Erin's Christian faith was called into question. One of her Facebook friends says that despite attending church, Erin was openly an atheist online, and had described clashes stemming from Simon's rigid religious beliefs.
5. 5.Erin was excited about her dehydrator and had used it to dry mushrooms. Erin's Facebook friends confirmed Erin had posted about hiding powdered mushrooms in food, and posted photos of the dehydrator.
6. 6.Erin consulted her friends about making beef Wellington. Her Facebook friends say she had asked for advice about making the dish, and had asked if other cuts of meat could be substituted after experiencing difficulty finding a cut of meat.

 

[drsleuth]

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/erin-pattersons-estranged-husband-simon-returns-to-witness-box-for-third-day/live-coverage/d603ddc55f7b29e37ee7b8661172c9fa?amp

'Hiding powdered mushrooms in everything': Erin Patterson's message to online friends​

Erin Patterson was 'excited' to show her online friends a photo of a food dehydrator she purchased and also sent them images of mushrooms being dehydrated, according to messages shown to the jury.

Paywalled

 

[JBowie]

I’m surprised the prosecutor isn’t objecting but then I don’t know much about Australian courts vs US courts.

The Prosecution certainly can object if they feel that their witness is being unduly badgered by the Defence.

Not being present we cannot 'read the room', but I get the impression that SP handed himself well enough and the Prosecution was content to allow the Defence to come across to the jury as bullies with nothing else.

 

[SouthAussie]

“I’m sorry but I can’t stop thinking about the comment that Don made on the phone … that Simon can ‘reverse the single thing in his tax return’,” she said.

Patterson went on to say she wasn’t able to access the Family Tax Benefit due to the change, which was wort about $15,000 annually.

But then she filed for Child Support so that she could get the Family Tax Benefit.

A lot of fuss over nothing much. imo


“FYI I put in child support application so that I can also supply for the family tax benefit, as I said I was going to do a few weeks back.

‘Friction’ over Erin Patterson’s $40-a-month child support payments

The mother is accused of killing three people with poisonous death cap mushrooms.

7news.com.au

 

[drsleuth]

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/the-mushroom-cook/inside-the-courtroom-mushroom-cook-erin-patterson-faces-court-for-day-5-of-murder-trial/live-coverage/d8c8352b5cbfdde978b53e962d14c6f1?amp

Inside the courtroom: Mushroom cook Erin Patterson faces court for day 5 of murder trial​

Simon Patterson is continuing his evidence in the murder trial of his estranged wife, mushroom cook Erin Patterson. FOLLOW LIVE

Miles Proust, Laura Placella and Brooke Grebert-Craig

less than 2 min read
May 5, 2025 - 5:00AM

Paywalled

 

[katydid23]

Here comes Erin’s assertion that she dumped the dehydrator after Simon asked her if that’s what she used to poison the relatives.

Woman who cooked suspected poisoned meal details where she bought mushrooms

The woman who cooked a meal that is believed to have contained poisonous mushrooms and led to the deaths of three people gives a lengthy written statement to police detailing her account of what happened, and revealing she was hospitalised after the incident.

www.abc.net.au

In the statement, Ms Patterson admitted she lied to investigators when she told them she had dumped it at the tip "a long time ago".

Ms Patterson said she was at the hospital with her children "discussing the food dehydrator" when her ex-husband, the son of the dead couple, asked: "Is that what you used to poison them?"

Worried that she might lose custody of the couple's children, Ms Patterson said she then panicked and dumped the dehydrator at the tip.

I think that is a big thing if the jury believes that EP lied about Simon saying that about the dehydrator. That accusation of his at the hospital was her excuse for rushing back to dump the dehydrator.

If he denies ever saying that, will anyone dare ask the kids if that ever happened?

2.41pm

Witness details Erin’s challenges dealing with Simon’s faith​

​

Now that he has finished giving evidence, Simon Patterson has taken a seat in the court with his extended family.

He watched as the new witness Christine Hunt, appearing via video link, said Erin had told the online group that she had grown apart from Simon.

“I understood that she was self-sufficient, although she had some concerns about him paying his share, I guess is how you put it, and that he was very controlling, and she used the word ‘coercive’ at times,” Hunt said.

“And also, that his family were very demanding, and that she was really challenged by their demands and particularly around the kids attending a faith-based education.”

Hunt said Erin felt unsettled whenever her children were away from her. She also said Erin had expressed the challenges she found in Simon’s Baptist background.

“She found that challenging, and in particular the decisions around things like divorce, separation, how the kids should be educated and brought up. She found all that very controlling and demanding,” Hunt said.

Erin Patterson told online friends she was ‘hiding powdered mushrooms in everything’, court hears: Trial day five, as it happened

Erin Patterson’s estranged husband Simon will continue providing evidence in her murder trial. Follow our live blog.

www.theage.com.au

THIS^^^

Way back at the start of this case, I often posted abut my guess about her motive. Back then there were reports that this luncheon was a mitigation and mediation----that the in-laws were going to mediate issues concerning the couple's co-parenting and child support etc.

And my guess was that EP was tired of the families interference. And she was not happy with their insistence that the kids were in a religious school and were attending church, etc.

I always believed that her motive for Death Capping them was that she wanted complete control of the children, without interference from the family. IMO

 

[katydid23]

'How sad she felt': Erin Patterson confided in online friends, court hears — as it happened

Erin Patterson's Facebook friends took to the witness box in her murder trial over a lunch served to her in-laws containing death cap mushrooms. Look back at how the hearing unfolded in our live blog.

www.abc.net.au

Key Event
6m ago

Facebook friend questioned over Erin and Simon's marriage​

​

By Judd Boaz​

Ms Barkley is asked about the relationship between Erin and Simon Patterson.

She tells the court that Erin would tell a small Facebook group of five people about her marriage.


Ms Barkley says Erin would describe how Simon would favour one of his children over another.


Ms Barkley says Erin described times when she felt Simon prioritised the church over his children.


Key Event
3m ago

Erin told friends 'I've been hiding powdered mushrooms in everything', court hears​

​

By Judd Boaz​

Ms Barkley tells the jury that Erin Patterson had felt "excited" that she had bought a food dehydrator, and had shared images of her drying mushrooms into a private group chat with her.


A screenshot of a Facebook comment is shown to the court. It reads:


Ms Barkley says Erin posted this comment.

YIKES---the jury sees pictures of her drying mushrooms in her dehydrator and then pictures of her posted message saying :

'I've been hiding powdered mushrooms in everything'​

That is a bad look for Erin right now.

 

[SouthAussie]

YIKES---the jury sees pictures of her drying mushrooms in her dehydrator and then pictures of her posted message saying :

'I've been hiding powdered mushrooms in everything'​

That is a bad look for Erin right now.

And she had been hiding non-poisonous mushrooms in everything. Ones that she was sure couldn't possibly be poisonous, so she could feed them to their kids.

Then she excludes the children from a lunch with their grandparents and, voila, the poisonous mushrooms show up.

 

[drsleuth]

1h ago15.55 AEST

Day five of the trial has concluded​

We’ll be back at 10.30am tomorrow for live coverage.

Here’s what jurors heard today:

1. Erin’s estranged husband, Simon, denied asking her “is that what you used to poison them?” in the days immediately after the lethal mushroom lunch. It was alleged he was referring to the food dehydrator, the court heard, although it was not clarified who “them” referred to.
2. The court was shown a Facebook message Erin wrote in 2023 before the lunch, according to her online friend Daniela Barkley. It read “I’ve been hiding powdered mushrooms in everything. Mixed into chocolate brownies yesterday, the kids had no idea.”
3. A Facebook friend of Erin recalled her describing her estranged husband, Simon, as “coercive” and her in-laws as “demanding”. The three Facebook friends who gave evidence did not meet her in person but communicated in online true crime groups, online chats and phone calls.
4. The same witness, Christine Hunt, says Erin was “well regarded” in the Facebook group and known as a good researcher, describing her as a “super sleuth.”

Updated at 16.00 AEST
2h ago15.21 AEST
Facebook friend says Erin Patterson loved mushrooms

Under cross-examination by Mandy, Hay says Erin “seemed to really like mushrooms.”

She says she gave Erin advice about making a beef wellington dish, suggesting she wrap the pastry as close as possible to avoid it becoming soggy.

Hay’s evidence has now concluded.

Erin Patterson described estranged husband as ‘coercive’ and in-laws as ‘demanding’, trial hears – as it happened

This blog is now closed

www.theguardian.com

 

[drsleuth]

I wonder if Erin read this thread before she was charged??

July 29th 2023 was the "lunch"
Erin was charged on 2nd Nov 2023

Police lay murder charges over mushroom deaths after Erin Patterson arrested

Erin Patterson, who cooked a mushroom lunch in late July suspected of resulting in three people's deaths, faces charges including murder and attempted murder.

www.abc.net.au

 

[JBowie]

I wonder if Erin read this thread before she was charged??

Given that she has been described in court today as a "super sleuth" that thought has crossed my mind.

Christine Hunt, says Erin was “well regarded” in the Facebook group and known as a good researcher, describing her as a “super sleuth.”

 

[JLZ]

I think that is a big thing if the jury believes that EP lied about Simon saying that about the dehydrator. That accusation of his at the hospital was her excuse for rushing back to dump the dehydrator.

If he denies ever saying that, will anyone dare ask the kids if that ever happened?

THIS^^^

Way back at the start of this case, I often posted abut my guess about her motive. Back then there were reports that this luncheon was a mitigation and mediation----that the in-laws were going to mediate issues concerning the couple's co-parenting and child support etc.

And my guess was that EP was tired of the families interference. And she was not happy with their insistence that the kids were in a religious school and were attending church, etc.

I always believed that her motive for Death Capping them was that she wanted complete control of the children, without interference from the family. IMO

BBM. At the start of the case I thought the parents sounded like deeply offensive busybodies. What I've been hearing from the evidence though is that it was Erin who kept dragging in the parents to apply pressure to Simon, and they were backing away and saying all they could do was encourage the couple to communicate with each other.

 

[Ellery84]

Given that she has been described in court today as a "super sleuth" that thought has crossed my mind.

Well not only Erin, but I wonder if any of her sleuth friends have read this thread or contributed.

It’s a strange feeling - to know that a sleuth or a super sleuth has potentially murdered three people. It’s unusual because you don’t really hear about that happening very often.

 

[Kemug]

Why couldn't she keep the details of her marriage private, why did she need to tell the whole world?

 

[JBowie]

Why couldn't she keep the details of her marriage private, why did she need to tell the whole world?

Narcissists are chronic complainers, accusers and blamers.

individuals with narcissistic personality disorder often complain about others to a wide audience, and this can be a form of manipulation. They may do this to deflect attention from their own shortcomings, manipulate others, and control the narrative. Complaining is a way for them to exert power and make others feel bad, often without acknowledging their own flaws -- Google AI [bbm]

 

[Kemug]

And I wonder what words she kept dripping into her children's ears?