Erin 'dished up all the plates': Witness
Ms Cripps said Erin told her she had invited the lunch guests over because “she had something she wanted to discuss with them”.
“It was a medical issue, I believe,” she told the jury.
She said Erin wanted to cook a “new and special” meal for them from a cookbook.
The court heard Erin told Ms Cripps she had bought pre-sliced mushrooms from Woolworths and mushrooms from an Asian grocer.
“She said that she read that the (mushrooms from the Asian grocer) would add a nice flavour to the beef wellington,” Ms Cripps said.
When asked by Crown prosecutor Sarah Lenthall how much Erin ate of her beef wellington, she replied: “Half.”
“I don’t believe she ate it all,” she added.
Ms Cripps said
Erin told her she had “dished up all the plates”, before the lunch guests chose their own plates and she took the one that was left over.
She told the court Erin said she started to feel unwell that evening when she had to drop her son’s friend home.
The court heard she then took her son to the supermarket, but stayed in the car because she thought she may have an accident.
Ms Cripps said Erin said she hoped sitting down in the car would provide a “cork”.
Later, Justice Christopher Beale asked the witness whether “cork” was the exact word used by the accused.
“Yes,” Ms Cripps replied.