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

[MsMarple]

Lunch preparations get underway​

By Judd Boaz​

Ian Wilkinson says he did not see the beef Wellington being prepared.

He tells the court he saw Erin Patterson working at the kitchen island bench opposite to where the other guests were standing.

"The only preparation I saw was potatoes being mashed, I saw food being plated up," he says.

3m ago

The court is learning about Erin Patterson's dining room layout​

By Kristian Silva​

Mr Wilkinson has described Erin Patterson's dining room as an open-plan kitchen and dining space.

An image is being displayed to the court, showing the long rectangular wooden dining table, with five chairs around it.

Underneath the table is a small grey rug.

To the left of the picture, you can see the white kitchen bench where the ladies were standing around.

 

[MsMarple]

Ian Wilkinson says Erin plated all the food despite offers for help.

"Both Heather and Gail were offering to help plate up the food," Mr Wilkinson says.

"The offer was rejected and Erin plated."

He says he did not see where the beef Wellington on the plates had come from before it was plated.

"Each person had an individual serve, it was very much like a pasty, if you imagine a pasty being put on a plate," Mr Wilkinson says.

"It was a pastry case and when we cut into it, there was steak and mushrooms."

 

[drsleuth]

1m ago11.45 AEST

Erin Patterson plated all of the food, survivor of mushroom lunch says​

The four guests then joined Erin in her garden where they discussed some of her plants.

Once inside again, Wilkinson says lunch preparations began.

He says he saw Erin mashing potatoes and putting food on plates. He says he did not see any other food being prepared.

The jury is shown a photo of Erin’s dining room table, with a kitchen bench to the left.

Wilkinson says Erin was on the kitchen side of the bench while she was putting food on plates.

Gail and Heather were on the dining room side of bench, leaning against it. He says both women offered to help Erin plate the food:

The offer was rejected.

He says Erin plated all of the food.

On the plates served to the guests were mashed potatoes, green beans and an individual beef wellington each.

Wilkinson says he did not see where the beef wellingtons came from before it was placed on the plates.

Erin Patterson trial day six – as it happened

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[drsleuth]

A mundane morning before arriving at Erin Patterson’s house​

​

Wilkinson says he and Heather had breakfast at home the morning of the fateful lunch. He cannot recall specifically what they ate.

“I have porridge basically every morning for breakfast, so I probably had a nice bowl of porridge,” he says. Wilkinson says Heather probably had toast.

The couple then bought a newspaper down the street and went to a cafe where they had plans to meet neighbours for coffee.

“I’ve got a vague memory of a pastry. I definitely had a coffee, but I couldn’t say for sure anything else,” he says.

Wilkinson says he and Heather were picked up by Don and Gail Patterson a little after 12pm and travelled to Erin’s house in Leongatha. They arrived about 12.30pm.

Wilkinson says Heather remarked about Simon’s car not being there, when they pulled up at the house.

“Don or Gail – I can’t remember which one – said Simon won’t be coming to the lunch,” he said.

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

 

[MsMarple]

One different plate used at lunch, Ian Wilkinson says​

By Judd Boaz​

The prosecution asks about the plates used at lunch, which Ian says were on the kitchen bench.

"There were four large grey dinner plates, and one smaller plate, a different colour, it was an orangey-tan colour," he says.

Mr Wilkinson says Gail picked up two of the grey plates and Heather picked up two of the grey plates.

He says Erin picked up the odd plate and carried it to her place at table.

 

[Little Jack]

It all hinges on whether erin directed them to those plates or not

 

[drsleuth]

‘I thought, maybe it’s a mess’: Patterson didn’t want lunch guests to see pantry​

By​

Upon arrival at Erin Patterson’s house, Wilkinson says the guests were led into the open-plan kitchen, dining and lounge area.

“There was general conversation. How are you, and that sort of thing,” he says. “Then we started conversing about the house.”

During the conversation, Patterson mentioned there was a pantry behind the wall in the kitchen area.

“Heather was very interested in pantries at that time, because we’d just built one at home.

“Whenever we went to somebody’s house where they said we have a pantry, she wanted to look at it because she wanted to get ideas for setting up her pantry.

“So on hearing about the pantry, she just immediately started walking towards it, calling out: ‘Can I have a look at your pantry?’” Ian says.

“I’d noticed that Erin was very reluctant about the visit to the pantry, and had not yet started following [Heather and Gail]. And so I thought, maybe the pantry is a mess. It’s going to be an embarrassment. So I won’t add to the embarrassment by joining the party.”

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

 

[drsleuth]

1m ago11.51 AEST
Erin placed ‘odd’, differently-coloured plate to her place, Ian Wilkinson tells court

Wilkinson describes the individual beef wellingtons served to the lunch guests:

It was very much like a pasty... it was a pastry case and when we cut into it, there was steak and mushrooms.

He says the dish was “entirely encased” in pastry.

Prosecutor Sarah Lenthall asks Wilkinson about the plates Erin used to serve the food:

There were four large, grey dinner plates and one smaller plate – a different colour. It was an orangey-tan sort of colour.


Gail picked up two of the grey plates and put them on the table, Heather picked up two of the grey plates and put them on the table.


Erin picked up the odd plate and placed it on the table ... she took it to her place on the table.

Erin Patterson trial day six – as it happened

This blog is now closed

www.theguardian.com

 

[MsMarple]

No formal seating arrangement at lunch​

By Tim Callanan​

Ian is now talking about where guests sat at the lunch.

There was no formal arrangement for where people sat.

"It was a casual arrangement, [we] just seemed to naturally sit down in a place," he says.

He's marking where each guest sat on a photo supplied to the court.

 

[Little Jack]

1m ago11.51 AEST
Erin placed ‘odd’, differently-coloured plate to her place, Ian Wilkinson tells court

Wilkinson describes the individual beef wellingtons served to the lunch guests:



He says the dish was “entirely encased” in pastry.

Prosecutor Sarah Lenthall asks Wilkinson about the plates Erin used to serve the food:


There were four large, grey dinner plates and one smaller plate – a different colour. It was an orangey-tan sort of colour.


Gail picked up two of the grey plates and put them on the table, Heather picked up two of the grey plates and put them on the table.


Erin picked up the odd plate and placed it on the table ... she took it to her place on the table.

Erin Patterson trial day six – as it happened

This blog is now closed

www.theguardian.com

I wish we could know if erin had said which ones they should grab. It seems like a massive risk that one of them might have taken the orange plate.. what would she have done??

 

[MsMarple]

Erin ate from different-coloured plate, Ian tells court​

By Judd Boaz​

The prosecutor has Ian confirm to the court about who ate from each plate.

"I ate from a grey plate," he says.

"Heather?" Ms Warren asks.

"Grey plate."

"Don?"

"Grey plate."

"Gail?"

"Grey plate."

"Erin?"

"Rusty coloured plate."

 

[whitelilac]

It all hinges on whether erin directed them to those plates or not

I'd like to know where those plates were placed on the counter before thy were taken to the table. The grey ones closer to the edge, the orange one closer to Erin?

 

[Little Jack]

I'd like to know where those plates were placed on the counter before thy were taken to the table. The grey ones closer to the edge, the orange one closer to Erin?

Yes again it does seem like a massive risk on her part- I had assumed shed served them their plates after they sat down

 

[MsMarple]

Banter over splitting beef Wellingtons featured during the lunch​

By Tim Callanan​

Ian says there was a little conversation, mostly about the meal.

Ian is now explaining how much of the meal was eaten by the guests and says he and Heather ate their whole meals, while Don ate his entire meal and half of Gail's beef Wellington, as Gail couldn't finish the whole meal.

"That's why I remember, there was talk about husbands helping their wives out by eating extra food," Mr Wilkinson says.

"Heather mentioned, 'oh we should have shared a beef Wellington' because she'd thought the meal was a bit on the large side for her.

"So that's the reason I remember who ate what, because of that little exchange."

He can't say for certain how much Erin ate but says "she was definitely eating".

 

[drsleuth]

I wish we could know if erin had said which ones they should grab. It seems like a massive risk that one of them might have taken the orange plate.. what would she have done??

I imagine she had the 4 large grey plates placed in a position where it would be obvious & reasonable for them to take those plates first & hers may have been closer to her.

If one of them was to try to take the orange plate, she could have just joked that she couldn't have her guests having different coloured plates & that she'd have the orange one

 

[Little Jack]

I suppose if she plated them one at a time and let guests carry them away, and the orange one was the last shed be safe. But this description makes it sound as though they were all plated at once.

 

[Little Jack]

I imagine she had the 4 large grey plates placed in a position where it would be obvious & reasonable for them to take those plates first & hers may have been closer to her.

If one of them was to try to take the orange plate, she could have just joked that she couldn't have her guests having different coloured plates & that she'd have the orange one

This does make sense.

 

[MsMarple]

ago

Guests have cake and fruit for dessert​

By Judd Boaz​

Ian says Gail had brought a cake to the lunch, while Heather had organised a fruit platter.

But he tells the court that the five of them did not eat much of either.

"Not much cake was consumed, not much fruit was consumed, we were all fairly full from the main course," he says.

Ian says he is unsure whether the same plates were used for the dessert as for the main courses.

He recalls only having a glass of water at the lunch to drink.

 

[whitelilac]

I'd also like to know, when authorities searched her house, if they searched for extra grey dinner plates.

 

[drsleuth]

now12.03 AEST
Ian says the five people said grace before they began to eat lunch.

He says and his wife Heather ate the entire meal.

Gail, Erin’s mother in law, ate her vegetables and half of her beef wellington, the court hears.

Don ate his meal and his wife Gail’s leftover half, Ian says. He then says:

There was talk about husbands helping their wives out by eating extra food. Heather mentioned we should have shared a beef wellington because she felt the meal was a bit on the large side for her. That’s the reason I remember who ate what – because of that little exchange.

Ian says he can’t recall how much of the meal Erin ate. But he says he cannot remember comments about Erin not eating much.

Gail had prepared a cake and Heather had brought a fruit platter to the lunch, the court hears.

Ian says not much of either was consumed as the guests were “fairly full” from the main course.

He says it was a “help yourself” serving arrangement for the cake and fruit, with plates on the table.

Ian says he cannot remember if the same plates from lunch were used.

From left to right: Don Patterson, Gail Patterson, Heather Wilkinson and Ian Wilkinson. Ian is the only survivor. Composite: Supplied/facebook

Erin Patterson trial day six – as it happened

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