Australian mushroom murder accused cross-examined at trial

BBC News

2 days ago

Update:
Date: 02:20 BST
Title: Ms Patterson quizzed alleged comments about husband
Content: Simon Atkinsonreporting from Morwell
Throughout this trial we've heard lots about what Erin Patterson is said to have written in Facebook groups and private online chats.
Some of it has been tendered to the court as evidence, in the form of screen grabs.
Other parts have come from testimony by some of those Facebook 'friends' who – under oath – recounted things they said Ms Patterson told them.
Today Ms Patterson is disputing some of the latter, including testimony from one witness about alleged comments critical of her estranged husband Simon Patterson.
"I don't remember saying he wasn't a very nice person," Ms Patterson says.
Update:
Date: 02:04 BST
Title: 'Our interactions were strained'
Content: We've also heard the prosecutor ask about evidence given by Matthew Patterson - the accused's brother-in-law - that in the years running up to the lunch, Erin Patterson didn't attend family gatherings as much.
Ms Patterson disagrees with that, but says she partially agrees with her son who told police his parents interactions were "negative" in the months running up to the lunch.
'Our interactions were strained,' Ms Patterson says.
Update:
Date: 02:00 BST
Title: Talk about changing schools
Content: Prosecutor Nanette Rogers now suggests to Ms Patterson that she moved the children to a new school in term three of 2023 without telling their father, Simon.
"That's not true," she replies, saying she had told her estranged husband months earlier.
Dr Rogers later reads a Facebook message where Ms Patterson writes that if Simon wants to "walk away from his responsibilities", then she wants to be able to choose the children's schools herself, which she described as a "blessing in disguise".
Update:
Date: 01:58 BST
Title: Slow moving start to the morning
Content: Katy Watsonreporting from Morwell
This line of questioning continues, and Ms Patterson keeps asking the prosecutor to repeat herself, or clarify her queries.
'I'm not trying to be difficult,' says Erin Patterson, adding she just wants to understand the question.
'Do you understand the word dispute?' asks the prosecutor.
Update:
Date: 01:56 BST
Title: Questioning begins with school fees dispute
Content: Simon Atkinsonreporting from Morwell
Erin Patterson is being asked about a dispute with her estranged husband about school fees - and what the prosecution says was an attempt to get her in-laws involved.
"I suggest to you that you were seeking to get Don and Gail to influence Simon to pay half the school fees," asks prosecutor Dr Rogers. 'Agree or disagree?'
Erin Patterson pauses, then responds: 'I was trying to ask Don and Gail to help Simon and [me] communicate about this better".
'That's not my question,' says Dr Rogers.
'Then the answer to your question is no,' says Ms Patterson.
After a tense exchange with the prosecutor, Ms Patterson concedes that Don Patterson did not want to get involved in the issue, but says she 'wasn't angry' about that.
Update:
Date: 01:41 BST
Title: Court full as Ms Patterson's evidence continues
Content: Katy Watsonreporting from Morwell
Ian Wilkinson, the only survivor of that lunch, once again is in court watching Erin Patterson's testimony.
He has attended this trial throughout, often accompanied by his daughter.
There was a bit of a queue outside the courthouse this morning too, with members of the public keen to watch Ms Patterson give evidence. Some are now regular faces, very interested in sitting in court and following this case.
Update:
Date: 01:37 BST
Title: What you missed earlier in the week
Content: Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Update:
Date: 01:33 BST
Title: Hello from Morwell
Content: Simon Atkinsonreporting from Morwell
Welcome to day 5, week 6 of the trial of Erin Patterson.
For the first five weeks the accused was in the dock but has spent most of this week in the witness box.
And that's where she will be today too.
It'll be a shorter grilling of Ms Patterson today though.
As is usual for this trial, it is an early finish on Fridays, and for everyone involved, there'll be a longer break than usual this weekend. Monday is a public holiday here in the state of Victoria and the court will be closed.
Today the BBC has been allocated (by ballot) one of the six media seats in the courtroom. Stay with us for the latest in this trial that is gripping Australia.
Update:
Date: 01:24 BST
Title: What happened yesterday
Content: Erin Patterson was cross-examined by the prosecution for much of Thursday. Here is what happened:
Update:
Date: 01:20 BST
Title: What is the triple murder trial about?
Content: This case centres around a lunch that Erin Patterson hosted at her Leongatha home in regional Victoria in July 2023.
Her in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, both 70, died in the days after they ate Ms Patterson's home-cooked beef Wellington which had poisonous death cap mushrooms in it.
Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, 66, also died while her husband, local pastor Ian Wilkinson, 71, survived after spending weeks in an induced coma.
Ms Patterson - facing three murder charges and one of attempted murder - has denied she purposely poisoned the four guests with her defence team calling it a tragic accident. The prosecution, though, argues she deliberately served the toxic meal.
Update:
Date: 01:18 BST
Title: Day two of Erin Patterson's cross-examination begins
Content: Tiffanie TurnbullLIve editor
Welcome back to our live coverage of the trial of Erin Patterson, who is accused of killing three relatives and gravely injuring another by intentionally serving them a toxic mushroom meal.
The 50-year-old denies this, saying it was all a tragic accident. She has been giving evidence since Monday afternoon.
Much of yesterday was spent with the intense cross-examination of Ms Patterson by the prosecution, Dr Nanette Rogers.
Today, the BBC has been given one of the rare places inside the court room, where cross-examination is set to continue.
We will be bringing you updates as they happen throughout the day.