2 hours ago
What Erin told child protection worker
Katrina Cripps, who worked for Child Protection in July 2023, has entered the witness box after a morning delay.
She said she spoke with Erin, including about her relationship with her estranged husband Simon, on July 31 – two days after the lunch – after she had been admitted to hospital.
“She applied for child support because she was seeking family tax benefit,” Ms Cripps said, noting that was in 2022.
“She said it had changed the relationship with her and Simon.
“She felt that was the time he had become nasty.”
Ms Cripps said Erin had described Simon as “controlling and emotionally abusive”.
“And (he) would say things to her that would make herself doubt herself as a parent,” she said.
She added that Erin told her Don and Gail were the “parents she hadn’t had”.
“She cared and loved them very much,” she said.
But she told the court Erin had started to feel isolated from them and had not been invited to family events of late.
2 hours ago
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.
2 hours ago
Erin didn't respond when asked about foraging
Ms Cripps told the court she visited Erin again on August 2 at her Leongatha home, a day after she had been discharged from hospital.
She told the court Erin had searched her bank records to find a purchase relating to the Asian grocer.
“She couldn’t find any record,” she said.
She said Erin said if it was a small purchase, she may have paid cash.
Ms Cripps agreed she asked Erin whether she had picked the mushrooms.
Ms Lenthall asked: “Did she answer you?”
She replied: “No.”
The court heard Erin was on her phone while they were having that conversation.
Ms Cripps said Erin told her she had rehydrated the mushrooms from the Asian grocer and used “all of them” in the beef wellington meal.
2 hours ago
Erin put leftovers aside while plating up: Witness
Under cross examination by defence barrister Sophie Stafford, Ms Cripps is being asked about two conversations Erin recounted to her.
The conversations were those she had with Simon on the Sunday and Monday after the lunch.
Ms Stafford asked: “Can I suggest to you that she did not tell you that Simon had told her that the others (the guests) were unwell (on Sunday)?”
She replied: “You can suggest it, but I’m certain that it happened.”
Ms Cripps said Erin did not use names, but indicated that she said Simon told her the “others” were unwell.
She added that Erin found out that Don and Gail, specifically, were unwell on Monday morning when she had another phone call with Simon.
Ms Stafford also asked Ms Cripps about what Erin told her about the lunch and her serve of the beef wellington.
She asked: “Was it your recollection that … she indicated to you she may have eaten half?”
Ms Cripps replied: “Yes.”
But she agreed it was more accurate to say that Erin indicated that she ate “some of it”.
The court also heard Ms Cripps recalled Erin telling her that she put “two plates aside” when plating up, adding that she mentioned they were for leftovers.
Ms Cripps will return to the witness box at 2.15pm
