Erin Patterson trial: Alleged mushroom poisoner to return to witness box for eighth day of evidence

West Australian

a day ago

Alleged triple-murderer Erin Patterson has denied she led health authorities on a 'wild goose chase' as they probed the mushroom poisoning of her four lunch guests.
Ms Patterson returned to the witness box at her Supreme Court trial in Morwell this week for her second week of giving evidence.
The 50-year-old is facing trial after pleading not guilty to the murder of three of her husband's family members and the attempted murder of a fourth.
Simon Patterson's parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and aunt, Heather Wilkinson, died after eating a meal at Ms Patterson's home on July 29, 2023, in the country Victorian town of Leongatha.
Heather's husband, Ian Wilkinson survived after spending about a month and a half in hospital.
Prosecutors allege Ms Patterson deliberately poisoned the guests with death cap mushrooms while her defence argues it was a tragic accident.
Giving evidence last week, Ms Patterson maintained she used dried mushrooms in the deadly lunch which she had bought from an Asian grocer in Melbourne's east in about April 2023.
She told the court she initially planned to use them in a pasta dish, but decided they would be too overpowering and stored them in a Tupperware container in her pantry.
She said she now believes she may have added foraged wild mushrooms to that container.
Facing questions from Crown prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC on Wednesday, Ms Patterson was asked if she was worried about them being too strong for the beef Wellington.
'No, I didn't think that. I thought it was the perfect dish for them,' she responded.
Dr Rogers went on to probe the exchange Ms Patterson had with Department of Health officer Sally Ann Atkinson about the Asian grocer.
Ms Atkinson gave evidence she communicated with Ms Patterson over several days in earlier August amid a public health probe into the poisoning.
Text messages and calls between the pair showed the public health officer attempting to narrow down the location of the store.
Dr Rogers suggested Ms Patterson was 'very familiar' with the area, owning a home in Mount Waverley and having previously worked for Monash City Council.
The accused woman disputed this, but did say she was familiar with the adjoining areas of Glen Waverley, Oakleigh and Clayton.
Dr Rogers suggested Ms Patterson was 'deliberately vague' about the location of the Asian grocer because it was a lie.
'Incorrect,' Ms Patterson responded.
'I was doing my best to remember when it happened, but I think I was clear at all times that I didn't have a memory of the actual purchase.'
The trial, now in its seventh week, continues.