GUILTY Australia - 3 dead after eating wild mushrooms, Leongatha, Victoria, Aug 2023 *Arrest* #19

[SouthAussie]

I've seen him talking about the case on Tik Tok. I didn't realise that he was an ex cop.

Former detective, former private investigator, investigative journalist, author, award winner.


"Duncan McNab is a former police detective, private investigator specialising in criminal defence, investigative journalist and media adviser to government and the private sector.
He is the author of twelve books, including the phenomenally bestselling Dead Man Running (with Ross Coulthart), Snapshot Killer, Waterfront and Roger Rogerson.
Duncan was a producer on the Kennedy and Clarion award-winning Murder Uncovered series (7 Network) in 2017 and creator/series producer of the groundbreaking Australia Behind Bars (9 Network/ITV).
In 2017 his book Getting Away with Murder won the Ned Kelly Award for Best True Crime.
In the same year his bestselling book on disgraced former detective and convicted murderer, Roger Rogerson, was shortlisted for the Ned Kelly Award for Best True Crime.
Duncan's forensic eye and engaging style makes him the perfect author to deep dive into the Erin Patterson case.
Recipe for Murder will be published in October 2025."

Duncan McNab Books

www.hachette.com.au

 

[packetgravy]

You seem to be suggesting that EP had nothing to hide re the leftovers...

When I said the leftovers remained?

 

[Deleted member 363451]

When I said the leftovers remained?

You've made other pointed remarks about the leftovers...

 

[LinasK]

That plate on the right does not appear to be an "orangey,tan" colour to me.

Either way it is a pointless venture trying to work out what plate Ian (or Heather) was speaking of. The salient point is the plate was different than the rest. We will never know if it was because Erin was short on plates, or if she wanted to ensure that she ate from a non-poisoned plate.

imo

Most likely it was the latter- to ensure that she ate from a non-poisoned plate. That's the first thing I thought of when I heard that she had a different colored plate. It's a lame excuse that she ran out of matching plates, the woman inherited over a million dollars! She can afford a set of more than 4 plates, especially if she's going to be entertaining. She could have gotten plain white ones cheaply even at a dollar store.

 

[SouthAussie]

As a reminder, this coming Monday and Tuesday are scheduled for the pre-sentence hearing.


On Friday, Justice Christopher Beale told the Supreme Court the pre-sentence hearing would be set down on August 25 and 26 in Melbourne.
The court's preferred location of Morwell, the regional town where Patterson's trial was staged, was not an option due to maintenance works, the judge said.

Erin Patterson's victims set to address next court hearing

The Supreme Court hears that people affected by the convicted triple-murderer's offending are likely to deliver victim impact statements later this month.

www.abc.net.au

 

[MrJ]

Victim impact statements will be very interesting. May she be treated with the same ‘respect’ she showed to those innocent lovely people.

 

[packetgravy]

You've made other pointed remarks about the leftovers...

I have referred to the leftovers being left in the bin, which they were.

We know that Erin directed police to the location of the leftovers and that one portion tested positive for toxins.

I am unsure how else to frame this, it’s all based on admissible evidence.

 

[Monstradamus]

As a reminder, this coming Monday and Tuesday are scheduled for the pre-sentence hearing.


On Friday, Justice Christopher Beale told the Supreme Court the pre-sentence hearing would be set down on August 25 and 26 in Melbourne.
The court's preferred location of Morwell, the regional town where Patterson's trial was staged, was not an option due to maintenance works, the judge said.

Erin Patterson's victims set to address next court hearing

The Supreme Court hears that people affected by the convicted triple-murderer's offending are likely to deliver victim impact statements later this month.

www.abc.net.au

I wonder what arguments EP's lawyers will make on behalf of their client?

"Erin has a good chance of rehabilitation"

"It perhaps was all just a terrible accident"

"She's not a danger to society, she's got it out of her system now"

 

[JBowie]

I wonder what arguments EP's lawyers will make on behalf of their client?

"Erin has a good chance of rehabilitation"

"It perhaps was all just a terrible accident"

"She's not a danger to society, she's got it out of her system now"

... besides, it's not death cap season.

 

[Deleted member 367982]

I wonder what arguments EP's lawyers will make on behalf of their client?

"Erin has a good chance of rehabilitation"

"It perhaps was all just a terrible accident"

"She's not a danger to society, she's got it out of her system now"

Well, her highly respected lawyer Colin Mandy was able to get her found guilty on all three counts of murder and one of attempted murder.
Perhaps he will be able to get her the maximum sentence of life without parole, unless he want to push for the reintroduction of the death sentence for his client.
I read somewhere that Mandy "did an absolute fantastic job with an astonishingly unrelatable and unconvincing client".
It may be correct about the client but anyone could have got her found guilty on all charges.
Erin served up Mandy a big slice of $2 million for his efforts, so he can't be completely ignorant.

 

[Monstradamus]

Well, her highly respected lawyer Colin Mandy was able to get her found guilty on all three counts of murder and one of attempted murder.
Perhaps he will be able to get her the maximum sentence of life without parole, unless he want to push for the reintroduction of the death sentence for his client.
I read somewhere that Mandy "did an absolute fantastic job with an astonishingly unrelatable and unconvincing client".
It may be correct about the client but anyone could have got her found guilty on all charges.
Erin served up Mandy a big slice of $2 million for his efforts, so he can't be completely ignorant.

Another substantial slice for the inevitable Appeal, too.
Bigger than her make believe piece of the orange cake.

 

[LinasK]

Another substantial slice for the inevitable Appeal, too.
Bigger than her make believe piece of the orange cake.

Why? He gave her the best defense possible with nothing to work with. I wouldn't call it Ineffectiveness of Counsel.

 

[Deleted member 363451]

I have referred to the leftovers being left in the bin, which they were.

We know that Erin directed police to the location of the leftovers and that one portion tested positive for toxins.

I am unsure how else to frame this, it’s all based on admissible evidence.

You could ponder over the events leading up to the lunch a hundred times, but the fact is that it doesn't change the outcome. Erin Patterson will most likely spend the rest of her life in prison for her horrific and cruel crimes. She is a horrid, cold individual, who took the lives of 3 innocent people for what? Not siding with her against their son? Cry me a river.

 

[Deleted member 363451]

Well, her highly respected lawyer Colin Mandy was able to get her found guilty on all three counts of murder and one of attempted murder.
Perhaps he will be able to get her the maximum sentence of life without parole, unless he want to push for the reintroduction of the death sentence for his client.
I read somewhere that Mandy "did an absolute fantastic job with an astonishingly unrelatable and unconvincing client".
It may be correct about the client but anyone could have got her found guilty on all charges.
Erin served up Mandy a big slice of $2 million for his efforts, so he can't be completely ignorant.

She's where she deserves to be. No lawyer would have got her off. There was too much evidence, even if it was circumstantial.

 

[Eloise]

I agree that it shouldn't be used as any sort of excuse, but I wouldn't be surprised if Colin had have used it if she really was diagnosed with it.

I think it didn't come up in trial because unless you meet the extremely high threshold for being found incompetent - and you basically have to be in active psychosis or have a severe intellectual disability for that - it's more or less irrelevant to being found guilty. It'll come up in sentencing if its a thing for sure, because it could give her a lighter sentence.

 

[packetgravy]

You could ponder over the events leading up to the lunch a hundred times, but the fact is that it doesn't change the outcome. Erin Patterson will most likely spend the rest of her life in prison for her horrific and cruel crimes. She is a horrid, cold individual, who took the lives of 3 innocent people for what? Not siding with her against their son? Cry me a river.

The topic of discussion was with regard to the events post lunch, including Erin’s movements and citation of legal documents involving the evidence.

This case is going to be discussed, cited and used for educational purposes for many years to come.

Yes, this unfortunately does not change the outcome.

 

[packetgravy]

Another substantial slice for the inevitable Appeal, too.
Bigger than her make believe piece of the orange cake.

Yes, there will be an appeal and yes, there will be a price for this. Imo

Is the price for representation something you find particularly distasteful?

 

[tmar]

I hope EP is miserable in jail, complaining continually.
BUT, I think, as she is a loner, she could be content in reading books +++.
No need to interact with inmates, officers etc.
Hope the coming 'prison life' is horrid for her.

 

[Monstradamus]

Yes, there will be an appeal and yes, there will be a price for this. Imo

Is the price for representation something you find particularly distasteful?

The price for the entire trial is distasteful to me, not just for the Defence, but to the taxpayer.

She had the best lawyer money can buy, but it made no difference to the outcome.

 

[Deleted member 367982]

Why? He gave her the best defense possible with nothing to work with. I wouldn't call it Ineffectiveness of Counsel.

Personally, I believe if she's obviously guilty then it would be a very good lawyer who says to her plead guilty, explain what your motive was, be very remorseful and get a few of your friends to give character references and that way you will be out in 25 years and not die in jail.
If she insisted on going ahead with the trial and thinking she can outwit Nanette Rogers with her 8 days of questioning on the stand, then IMO Mandy should have made it clear to her she will come unstuck with her lies.
If Mandy said to Erin, I'll take your case on and we may be able to get some legalities to come into play, along with the judge who will be making certain there will be no appeal with so many instructions to the jury that it will confuse them into thinking there's reasonable doubt then the $2m may be worth it and we'll see each other again when your 75.
Philip Dunn should have earlier in the proceedings impressed on Erin the opportunity to avoid life without parole by pleading guilty otherwise he also wasn't doing his job imo.
If she had earned the money herself instead of inheriting it then perhaps it's OK but I would like to think she could have passed that money on to her children and not use it to pay lawyers.
She was never going to get away with trying to murder everyone at her lunch, even without the jury knowing she tried to possibly murder Simon using a similar method regularly over the last few years.
If Mandy took the case on without making it clear to Erin that there was no way she could kill three people and get away with it, then I think that's how he did her a disservice.
And if Colin Mandy thinks she came out of the cross examination unscathed, either he's a bloody idiot or was lying when he told the jury that in his closing address.
Her time on the stand was pathetic just like she is IMO.