Two men charged after allegedly deliberately running down kangaroos, killing one in Melbourne's Lysterfield South
A kangaroo is dead after it was allegedly targeted by a car in Melbourne.
Two men have been charged following an investigation into the alleged act of cruelty in Lysterfield South.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Police raid two homes, seize car used to run down kangaroos.
Police allege the pair — a 22-year-old from Scoresby and a 20-year-old from Ringwood — deliberately drove a Nissan Patrol toward a group of kangaroos on Hallam North Rd about 10.20pm on April 23.
One kangaroo died at the scene.
Officers later raided the men's homes, seizing a Nissan Patrol, and charged both on Thursday.
They face charges of aggravated cruelty to animals and destroying protected wildlife, and are due to appear at Dandenong Magistrates' Court on August 19.
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5 days ago
- The Advertiser
'This family, swear to f--king god': what we learned from Erin Patterson
Religion, self-esteem and tense family relationships have been the topic of questioning in Erin Patterson's murder trial as the accused mushroom cook took the stand on June 3. Ms Patterson was questioned by her lawyer, Colin Mandy SC, at Latrobe Valley Court in Morwell, Gippsland, as the murder trial entered its sixth week. She is facing three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder after hosting a fatal beef Wellington lunch for her parents-in-law and her husbands's aunt and uncle in July 2023. Don and Gail Patterson, her estranged husband Simon Patterson's parents, both died in the days after the lunch from death cap mushroom poisoning. Heather Wilkinson, Simon's aunt, also died from death cap mushrooms while her husband, Ian Wilkinson, survived. Ms Patterson has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has always maintained her innocence. Ms Patterson started dating Simon in July 2005 after meeting through mutual friends at Monash City Council in 2004. They were engaged in early 2007, and Ms Patterson said her in-laws, Don and Gail, were the first to know. The couple were married at Korumburra Anglican Church in June 2007, with Ian and Heather Wilkinson's son walking Ms Patterson down the aisle while her parents were holidaying in Russia. She said they chose to hold the wedding at the Anglican church rather than Mr Wilkinson's Korumburra Baptist Church so that the aunt and uncle could "relax as guests rather than having jobs for the day". It wasn't long before the newlyweds set off on an adventure around Australia and Africa, using money that Ms Patterson received as an inheritance from her late grandmother's estate. The pair bought a Nissan Patrol and "just hit the open road", she told the court. They "meandered" through outback Australia before reaching Perth in September 2007. The couple then flew to Africa, visiting South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Namibia. This trip, along Western Australia's Gibb River Road towards Queensland, would end in their first period of separation. Ms Patterson said she left her husband and their baby in Queensland and flew back to Perth, while Simon drove back to Western Australia over the course of a week. They remained separated for "two or three months" but reconciled by January 2010, she told the court. The 50-year-old said that Don and Gail Patterson had emotionally supported her through many difficult moments in her life. She told the court that her in-laws had come to Perth to visit the couple shortly after the birth of their first child in January 2009. "I remember being really relieved that Gail was there, I was out of my depth with the baby and she was supportive and gentle," Ms Patterson said. But the relationship became more complex as Ms Patterson and her husband permanently separated, with the in-laws occasionally acting as mediators in their disputes. But Ms Patterson said Don and Gail "never changed" towards her. "They just continued to love me," she said. Ms Patterson said she had felt "left out" of family celebrations when she wasn't invited to Gail Patterson's 70th birthday lunch in 2022. Don Patterson later called and invited her, apologising for the oversight, she said. Ms Patterson and Simon ultimately could not make the relationship work, but attempted to remain civil for the children's benefit. "I didn't want to be separated, but I felt there was no choice," Ms Patteron told the court. "Our primary problem was, if we had a disagreement or any kind of conflict, we didn't seem to be able to talk about it in a way where either or us felt heard or understood," she said. "We just felt hurt, and we didn't really know how to do that well." Ms Patterson said the topic of child support first arose in October 2022 as she was preparing her tax return paperwork. She learnt that Simon had listed himself as single on his tax return but had not given her sufficient warning about the change to their relationship status to submit family tax benefit paperwork. Disputes over child support payments "increased in heat" from then onwards, she said. Ms Patterson said she was "hurt" when Simon said he would not contribute to their child's surgery and anesthesiology bills after he had been "explicitly instructed" not to by the Department of Human Services. While Ms Patterson butted heads with her estranged husband over child support payments, she said she would vent to her friends in a social media group chat. She said the group was a "cheer squad" while she was going through relationship issues. Don and Gail had attempted to mediate child support disputes between the couple but had ultimately suggested that they pray together. This suggestion prompted Ms Patterson to post a message to the group chat saying, "This family, I swear to f--king god". But she told the court that she "regrets" sending the message. "I was really frustrated with Simon, but it wasn't Don and Gail's fault, it wasn't the family's fault, it wasn't even entirely Simon's fault - I played a part too," she said. Ms Patterson identified as an atheist when she met Simon, but converted to the church after having a "spiritual experience" at Mr Wilkinson's Korumburra church. She told the court that she remains a Christian. The court was told that Ms Patterson briefly owned a second-hand bookshop in Pemberton in Western Australia in 2011. "I spent months travelling around south-west and Western Australia collecting books to sell there," she said. She said she collected books at fairs, libraries and estate sales "for quite a while" before buying 30 to 35 bookshelves from Ikea. Ms Patterson told the court that she had been accepted into nursing school at the start of 2023 but had decided to defer for a year, to start in 2024. She wanted to ensure she had enough time to care for her two children before starting the Bachelor of Nursing and Midwifery at Federation University. But money wasn't an issue. She said she was "comfortable financially" and could afford to go to university and without having a full-time job "at the same time". Ms Patterson told the court that she struggled with binge eating and purging throughout her adult life, and said she had "never had a healthy relationship with food". "I tried every diet under the sun," she said. She said the battle with self-esteem and disordered eating started as a child when she was regularly weighed by her mother. She told the court that she had secretly binged and purged around two to three times per week in the lead up to the fatal lunch and had planned to undergo gastric bypass surgery. "I've been [binging and purging] since my 20s... It could be daily, but also weekly or monthly. It varied in intensity." She said nobody knew about it, but that "everybody knows now". Ms Patterson detailed a number of interactions she had with medical professionals that, she said, caused her to "lose faith" in the medical system. She told the court that she and Simon had discharged themselves from the hospital when their first child was born in Perth, after a traumatic birth involving an emergency Caesarean section. She explained that her two children had struggled to receive medical attention for health issues later in life. Ms Patterson told the court that she had presented for medical care with her daughter a number of times after an ovarian growth was discovered. She also said her son had developed knock knees, but that she struggled to get attention from medical professionals. She admitted that she had never been diagnosed with cancer, but that she had a suspicion she was unwell after experiencing "a multitude of symptoms". "I'd been having, for a few months, a multitude of symptoms. I felt very fatigued, I had ongoing abdominal pain, chronic headaches, and I put on a lot of weight in a short period of time," she told the court. "What sent me over the edge to go to the doctor was that my wedding ring wouldn't fit, so I got it resized, and then my hand outgrew it again," she said. She told the court that she had believed she may have an autoimmune disease, such as lupus or multiple sclerosis, after referring to "doctor Google". "I think I wasted a lot of time, not just my time, but medical people's time through all my doctor Googling," she said. "It's hard to justify it, but with the benefit of hindsight, I lost so much faith in [medicine and medical professionals]. "But every headache is not a brain tumour," she said. Support is available for those who may be distressed: Religion, self-esteem and tense family relationships have been the topic of questioning in Erin Patterson's murder trial as the accused mushroom cook took the stand on June 3. Ms Patterson was questioned by her lawyer, Colin Mandy SC, at Latrobe Valley Court in Morwell, Gippsland, as the murder trial entered its sixth week. She is facing three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder after hosting a fatal beef Wellington lunch for her parents-in-law and her husbands's aunt and uncle in July 2023. Don and Gail Patterson, her estranged husband Simon Patterson's parents, both died in the days after the lunch from death cap mushroom poisoning. Heather Wilkinson, Simon's aunt, also died from death cap mushrooms while her husband, Ian Wilkinson, survived. Ms Patterson has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has always maintained her innocence. Ms Patterson started dating Simon in July 2005 after meeting through mutual friends at Monash City Council in 2004. They were engaged in early 2007, and Ms Patterson said her in-laws, Don and Gail, were the first to know. The couple were married at Korumburra Anglican Church in June 2007, with Ian and Heather Wilkinson's son walking Ms Patterson down the aisle while her parents were holidaying in Russia. She said they chose to hold the wedding at the Anglican church rather than Mr Wilkinson's Korumburra Baptist Church so that the aunt and uncle could "relax as guests rather than having jobs for the day". It wasn't long before the newlyweds set off on an adventure around Australia and Africa, using money that Ms Patterson received as an inheritance from her late grandmother's estate. The pair bought a Nissan Patrol and "just hit the open road", she told the court. They "meandered" through outback Australia before reaching Perth in September 2007. The couple then flew to Africa, visiting South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Namibia. This trip, along Western Australia's Gibb River Road towards Queensland, would end in their first period of separation. Ms Patterson said she left her husband and their baby in Queensland and flew back to Perth, while Simon drove back to Western Australia over the course of a week. They remained separated for "two or three months" but reconciled by January 2010, she told the court. The 50-year-old said that Don and Gail Patterson had emotionally supported her through many difficult moments in her life. She told the court that her in-laws had come to Perth to visit the couple shortly after the birth of their first child in January 2009. "I remember being really relieved that Gail was there, I was out of my depth with the baby and she was supportive and gentle," Ms Patterson said. But the relationship became more complex as Ms Patterson and her husband permanently separated, with the in-laws occasionally acting as mediators in their disputes. But Ms Patterson said Don and Gail "never changed" towards her. "They just continued to love me," she said. Ms Patterson said she had felt "left out" of family celebrations when she wasn't invited to Gail Patterson's 70th birthday lunch in 2022. Don Patterson later called and invited her, apologising for the oversight, she said. Ms Patterson and Simon ultimately could not make the relationship work, but attempted to remain civil for the children's benefit. "I didn't want to be separated, but I felt there was no choice," Ms Patteron told the court. "Our primary problem was, if we had a disagreement or any kind of conflict, we didn't seem to be able to talk about it in a way where either or us felt heard or understood," she said. "We just felt hurt, and we didn't really know how to do that well." Ms Patterson said the topic of child support first arose in October 2022 as she was preparing her tax return paperwork. She learnt that Simon had listed himself as single on his tax return but had not given her sufficient warning about the change to their relationship status to submit family tax benefit paperwork. Disputes over child support payments "increased in heat" from then onwards, she said. Ms Patterson said she was "hurt" when Simon said he would not contribute to their child's surgery and anesthesiology bills after he had been "explicitly instructed" not to by the Department of Human Services. While Ms Patterson butted heads with her estranged husband over child support payments, she said she would vent to her friends in a social media group chat. She said the group was a "cheer squad" while she was going through relationship issues. Don and Gail had attempted to mediate child support disputes between the couple but had ultimately suggested that they pray together. This suggestion prompted Ms Patterson to post a message to the group chat saying, "This family, I swear to f--king god". But she told the court that she "regrets" sending the message. "I was really frustrated with Simon, but it wasn't Don and Gail's fault, it wasn't the family's fault, it wasn't even entirely Simon's fault - I played a part too," she said. Ms Patterson identified as an atheist when she met Simon, but converted to the church after having a "spiritual experience" at Mr Wilkinson's Korumburra church. She told the court that she remains a Christian. The court was told that Ms Patterson briefly owned a second-hand bookshop in Pemberton in Western Australia in 2011. "I spent months travelling around south-west and Western Australia collecting books to sell there," she said. She said she collected books at fairs, libraries and estate sales "for quite a while" before buying 30 to 35 bookshelves from Ikea. Ms Patterson told the court that she had been accepted into nursing school at the start of 2023 but had decided to defer for a year, to start in 2024. She wanted to ensure she had enough time to care for her two children before starting the Bachelor of Nursing and Midwifery at Federation University. But money wasn't an issue. She said she was "comfortable financially" and could afford to go to university and without having a full-time job "at the same time". Ms Patterson told the court that she struggled with binge eating and purging throughout her adult life, and said she had "never had a healthy relationship with food". "I tried every diet under the sun," she said. She said the battle with self-esteem and disordered eating started as a child when she was regularly weighed by her mother. She told the court that she had secretly binged and purged around two to three times per week in the lead up to the fatal lunch and had planned to undergo gastric bypass surgery. "I've been [binging and purging] since my 20s... It could be daily, but also weekly or monthly. It varied in intensity." She said nobody knew about it, but that "everybody knows now". Ms Patterson detailed a number of interactions she had with medical professionals that, she said, caused her to "lose faith" in the medical system. She told the court that she and Simon had discharged themselves from the hospital when their first child was born in Perth, after a traumatic birth involving an emergency Caesarean section. She explained that her two children had struggled to receive medical attention for health issues later in life. Ms Patterson told the court that she had presented for medical care with her daughter a number of times after an ovarian growth was discovered. She also said her son had developed knock knees, but that she struggled to get attention from medical professionals. She admitted that she had never been diagnosed with cancer, but that she had a suspicion she was unwell after experiencing "a multitude of symptoms". "I'd been having, for a few months, a multitude of symptoms. I felt very fatigued, I had ongoing abdominal pain, chronic headaches, and I put on a lot of weight in a short period of time," she told the court. "What sent me over the edge to go to the doctor was that my wedding ring wouldn't fit, so I got it resized, and then my hand outgrew it again," she said. She told the court that she had believed she may have an autoimmune disease, such as lupus or multiple sclerosis, after referring to "doctor Google". "I think I wasted a lot of time, not just my time, but medical people's time through all my doctor Googling," she said. "It's hard to justify it, but with the benefit of hindsight, I lost so much faith in [medicine and medical professionals]. "But every headache is not a brain tumour," she said. Support is available for those who may be distressed: Religion, self-esteem and tense family relationships have been the topic of questioning in Erin Patterson's murder trial as the accused mushroom cook took the stand on June 3. Ms Patterson was questioned by her lawyer, Colin Mandy SC, at Latrobe Valley Court in Morwell, Gippsland, as the murder trial entered its sixth week. She is facing three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder after hosting a fatal beef Wellington lunch for her parents-in-law and her husbands's aunt and uncle in July 2023. Don and Gail Patterson, her estranged husband Simon Patterson's parents, both died in the days after the lunch from death cap mushroom poisoning. Heather Wilkinson, Simon's aunt, also died from death cap mushrooms while her husband, Ian Wilkinson, survived. Ms Patterson has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has always maintained her innocence. Ms Patterson started dating Simon in July 2005 after meeting through mutual friends at Monash City Council in 2004. They were engaged in early 2007, and Ms Patterson said her in-laws, Don and Gail, were the first to know. The couple were married at Korumburra Anglican Church in June 2007, with Ian and Heather Wilkinson's son walking Ms Patterson down the aisle while her parents were holidaying in Russia. She said they chose to hold the wedding at the Anglican church rather than Mr Wilkinson's Korumburra Baptist Church so that the aunt and uncle could "relax as guests rather than having jobs for the day". It wasn't long before the newlyweds set off on an adventure around Australia and Africa, using money that Ms Patterson received as an inheritance from her late grandmother's estate. The pair bought a Nissan Patrol and "just hit the open road", she told the court. They "meandered" through outback Australia before reaching Perth in September 2007. The couple then flew to Africa, visiting South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Namibia. This trip, along Western Australia's Gibb River Road towards Queensland, would end in their first period of separation. Ms Patterson said she left her husband and their baby in Queensland and flew back to Perth, while Simon drove back to Western Australia over the course of a week. They remained separated for "two or three months" but reconciled by January 2010, she told the court. The 50-year-old said that Don and Gail Patterson had emotionally supported her through many difficult moments in her life. She told the court that her in-laws had come to Perth to visit the couple shortly after the birth of their first child in January 2009. "I remember being really relieved that Gail was there, I was out of my depth with the baby and she was supportive and gentle," Ms Patterson said. But the relationship became more complex as Ms Patterson and her husband permanently separated, with the in-laws occasionally acting as mediators in their disputes. But Ms Patterson said Don and Gail "never changed" towards her. "They just continued to love me," she said. Ms Patterson said she had felt "left out" of family celebrations when she wasn't invited to Gail Patterson's 70th birthday lunch in 2022. Don Patterson later called and invited her, apologising for the oversight, she said. Ms Patterson and Simon ultimately could not make the relationship work, but attempted to remain civil for the children's benefit. "I didn't want to be separated, but I felt there was no choice," Ms Patteron told the court. "Our primary problem was, if we had a disagreement or any kind of conflict, we didn't seem to be able to talk about it in a way where either or us felt heard or understood," she said. "We just felt hurt, and we didn't really know how to do that well." Ms Patterson said the topic of child support first arose in October 2022 as she was preparing her tax return paperwork. She learnt that Simon had listed himself as single on his tax return but had not given her sufficient warning about the change to their relationship status to submit family tax benefit paperwork. Disputes over child support payments "increased in heat" from then onwards, she said. Ms Patterson said she was "hurt" when Simon said he would not contribute to their child's surgery and anesthesiology bills after he had been "explicitly instructed" not to by the Department of Human Services. While Ms Patterson butted heads with her estranged husband over child support payments, she said she would vent to her friends in a social media group chat. She said the group was a "cheer squad" while she was going through relationship issues. Don and Gail had attempted to mediate child support disputes between the couple but had ultimately suggested that they pray together. This suggestion prompted Ms Patterson to post a message to the group chat saying, "This family, I swear to f--king god". But she told the court that she "regrets" sending the message. "I was really frustrated with Simon, but it wasn't Don and Gail's fault, it wasn't the family's fault, it wasn't even entirely Simon's fault - I played a part too," she said. Ms Patterson identified as an atheist when she met Simon, but converted to the church after having a "spiritual experience" at Mr Wilkinson's Korumburra church. She told the court that she remains a Christian. The court was told that Ms Patterson briefly owned a second-hand bookshop in Pemberton in Western Australia in 2011. "I spent months travelling around south-west and Western Australia collecting books to sell there," she said. She said she collected books at fairs, libraries and estate sales "for quite a while" before buying 30 to 35 bookshelves from Ikea. Ms Patterson told the court that she had been accepted into nursing school at the start of 2023 but had decided to defer for a year, to start in 2024. She wanted to ensure she had enough time to care for her two children before starting the Bachelor of Nursing and Midwifery at Federation University. But money wasn't an issue. She said she was "comfortable financially" and could afford to go to university and without having a full-time job "at the same time". Ms Patterson told the court that she struggled with binge eating and purging throughout her adult life, and said she had "never had a healthy relationship with food". "I tried every diet under the sun," she said. She said the battle with self-esteem and disordered eating started as a child when she was regularly weighed by her mother. She told the court that she had secretly binged and purged around two to three times per week in the lead up to the fatal lunch and had planned to undergo gastric bypass surgery. "I've been [binging and purging] since my 20s... It could be daily, but also weekly or monthly. It varied in intensity." She said nobody knew about it, but that "everybody knows now". Ms Patterson detailed a number of interactions she had with medical professionals that, she said, caused her to "lose faith" in the medical system. She told the court that she and Simon had discharged themselves from the hospital when their first child was born in Perth, after a traumatic birth involving an emergency Caesarean section. She explained that her two children had struggled to receive medical attention for health issues later in life. Ms Patterson told the court that she had presented for medical care with her daughter a number of times after an ovarian growth was discovered. She also said her son had developed knock knees, but that she struggled to get attention from medical professionals. She admitted that she had never been diagnosed with cancer, but that she had a suspicion she was unwell after experiencing "a multitude of symptoms". "I'd been having, for a few months, a multitude of symptoms. I felt very fatigued, I had ongoing abdominal pain, chronic headaches, and I put on a lot of weight in a short period of time," she told the court. "What sent me over the edge to go to the doctor was that my wedding ring wouldn't fit, so I got it resized, and then my hand outgrew it again," she said. She told the court that she had believed she may have an autoimmune disease, such as lupus or multiple sclerosis, after referring to "doctor Google". "I think I wasted a lot of time, not just my time, but medical people's time through all my doctor Googling," she said. "It's hard to justify it, but with the benefit of hindsight, I lost so much faith in [medicine and medical professionals]. "But every headache is not a brain tumour," she said. Support is available for those who may be distressed: Religion, self-esteem and tense family relationships have been the topic of questioning in Erin Patterson's murder trial as the accused mushroom cook took the stand on June 3. Ms Patterson was questioned by her lawyer, Colin Mandy SC, at Latrobe Valley Court in Morwell, Gippsland, as the murder trial entered its sixth week. She is facing three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder after hosting a fatal beef Wellington lunch for her parents-in-law and her husbands's aunt and uncle in July 2023. Don and Gail Patterson, her estranged husband Simon Patterson's parents, both died in the days after the lunch from death cap mushroom poisoning. Heather Wilkinson, Simon's aunt, also died from death cap mushrooms while her husband, Ian Wilkinson, survived. Ms Patterson has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has always maintained her innocence. Ms Patterson started dating Simon in July 2005 after meeting through mutual friends at Monash City Council in 2004. They were engaged in early 2007, and Ms Patterson said her in-laws, Don and Gail, were the first to know. The couple were married at Korumburra Anglican Church in June 2007, with Ian and Heather Wilkinson's son walking Ms Patterson down the aisle while her parents were holidaying in Russia. She said they chose to hold the wedding at the Anglican church rather than Mr Wilkinson's Korumburra Baptist Church so that the aunt and uncle could "relax as guests rather than having jobs for the day". It wasn't long before the newlyweds set off on an adventure around Australia and Africa, using money that Ms Patterson received as an inheritance from her late grandmother's estate. The pair bought a Nissan Patrol and "just hit the open road", she told the court. They "meandered" through outback Australia before reaching Perth in September 2007. The couple then flew to Africa, visiting South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Namibia. This trip, along Western Australia's Gibb River Road towards Queensland, would end in their first period of separation. Ms Patterson said she left her husband and their baby in Queensland and flew back to Perth, while Simon drove back to Western Australia over the course of a week. They remained separated for "two or three months" but reconciled by January 2010, she told the court. The 50-year-old said that Don and Gail Patterson had emotionally supported her through many difficult moments in her life. She told the court that her in-laws had come to Perth to visit the couple shortly after the birth of their first child in January 2009. "I remember being really relieved that Gail was there, I was out of my depth with the baby and she was supportive and gentle," Ms Patterson said. But the relationship became more complex as Ms Patterson and her husband permanently separated, with the in-laws occasionally acting as mediators in their disputes. But Ms Patterson said Don and Gail "never changed" towards her. "They just continued to love me," she said. Ms Patterson said she had felt "left out" of family celebrations when she wasn't invited to Gail Patterson's 70th birthday lunch in 2022. Don Patterson later called and invited her, apologising for the oversight, she said. Ms Patterson and Simon ultimately could not make the relationship work, but attempted to remain civil for the children's benefit. "I didn't want to be separated, but I felt there was no choice," Ms Patteron told the court. "Our primary problem was, if we had a disagreement or any kind of conflict, we didn't seem to be able to talk about it in a way where either or us felt heard or understood," she said. "We just felt hurt, and we didn't really know how to do that well." Ms Patterson said the topic of child support first arose in October 2022 as she was preparing her tax return paperwork. She learnt that Simon had listed himself as single on his tax return but had not given her sufficient warning about the change to their relationship status to submit family tax benefit paperwork. Disputes over child support payments "increased in heat" from then onwards, she said. Ms Patterson said she was "hurt" when Simon said he would not contribute to their child's surgery and anesthesiology bills after he had been "explicitly instructed" not to by the Department of Human Services. While Ms Patterson butted heads with her estranged husband over child support payments, she said she would vent to her friends in a social media group chat. She said the group was a "cheer squad" while she was going through relationship issues. Don and Gail had attempted to mediate child support disputes between the couple but had ultimately suggested that they pray together. This suggestion prompted Ms Patterson to post a message to the group chat saying, "This family, I swear to f--king god". But she told the court that she "regrets" sending the message. "I was really frustrated with Simon, but it wasn't Don and Gail's fault, it wasn't the family's fault, it wasn't even entirely Simon's fault - I played a part too," she said. Ms Patterson identified as an atheist when she met Simon, but converted to the church after having a "spiritual experience" at Mr Wilkinson's Korumburra church. She told the court that she remains a Christian. The court was told that Ms Patterson briefly owned a second-hand bookshop in Pemberton in Western Australia in 2011. "I spent months travelling around south-west and Western Australia collecting books to sell there," she said. She said she collected books at fairs, libraries and estate sales "for quite a while" before buying 30 to 35 bookshelves from Ikea. Ms Patterson told the court that she had been accepted into nursing school at the start of 2023 but had decided to defer for a year, to start in 2024. She wanted to ensure she had enough time to care for her two children before starting the Bachelor of Nursing and Midwifery at Federation University. But money wasn't an issue. She said she was "comfortable financially" and could afford to go to university and without having a full-time job "at the same time". Ms Patterson told the court that she struggled with binge eating and purging throughout her adult life, and said she had "never had a healthy relationship with food". "I tried every diet under the sun," she said. She said the battle with self-esteem and disordered eating started as a child when she was regularly weighed by her mother. She told the court that she had secretly binged and purged around two to three times per week in the lead up to the fatal lunch and had planned to undergo gastric bypass surgery. "I've been [binging and purging] since my 20s... It could be daily, but also weekly or monthly. It varied in intensity." She said nobody knew about it, but that "everybody knows now". Ms Patterson detailed a number of interactions she had with medical professionals that, she said, caused her to "lose faith" in the medical system. She told the court that she and Simon had discharged themselves from the hospital when their first child was born in Perth, after a traumatic birth involving an emergency Caesarean section. She explained that her two children had struggled to receive medical attention for health issues later in life. Ms Patterson told the court that she had presented for medical care with her daughter a number of times after an ovarian growth was discovered. She also said her son had developed knock knees, but that she struggled to get attention from medical professionals. She admitted that she had never been diagnosed with cancer, but that she had a suspicion she was unwell after experiencing "a multitude of symptoms". "I'd been having, for a few months, a multitude of symptoms. I felt very fatigued, I had ongoing abdominal pain, chronic headaches, and I put on a lot of weight in a short period of time," she told the court. "What sent me over the edge to go to the doctor was that my wedding ring wouldn't fit, so I got it resized, and then my hand outgrew it again," she said. She told the court that she had believed she may have an autoimmune disease, such as lupus or multiple sclerosis, after referring to "doctor Google". "I think I wasted a lot of time, not just my time, but medical people's time through all my doctor Googling," she said. "It's hard to justify it, but with the benefit of hindsight, I lost so much faith in [medicine and medical professionals]. "But every headache is not a brain tumour," she said. Support is available for those who may be distressed:
Herald Sun
22-05-2025
- Herald Sun
Travis Smith bail application approved: alleged dangerous driver released
Don't miss out on the headlines from South East . Followed categories will be added to My News. A Hampton Park man has been released on bail after an alleged high speed car chase ended with a 90 minute rooftop stand off with cops. Travis Smith, 28, fronted the Dandenong Magistrates' Court on Thursday facing charges including two counts of theft of a motor vehicle, reckless conduct endangering life, two counts of going equipped to steal, nine counts of contravening bail conditions as well as multiple drug charges and alleged driving offences. In court documents seen by the Herald Sun, police say Mr Smith was involved in two overnight car thefts from Doveton on May 12, alongside a 27-year-old man, also from Hampton Park. On May 14, the court heard AirWing police were allegedly led through Doveton, Narre Warren, Cranbourne and Hampton Park, where police say he then drove through red lights at an 'excessive speed'. Mr Smith allegedly avoided deployed stop sticks on Power Rd, Princes Hwy and Kidds Rd in Doveton, before the vehicle was abandoned in a Hampton Park street. Police say he jumped into another car — also believed stolen — driven by his co-accused, after which the AirWing continued to track the pair as they fled to a Berwick address. The court heard cops arrested his co-accused inside the southeastern property before Mr Smith allegedly jumped numerous fences and climbed onto the roof of a Lyndall Crt home. Police allege Mr Smith remained on the roof for 90 minutes before surrendering into custody. In the second session of a part heard bail application on Thursday, Mr Smith's lawyer argued for him to be released into the supervision of a family friend in Geelong. The court heard Mr Smith would have immediate access to Indigenous community support and that community members were 'keen to meet' him. Magistrate Francis Medina said the allegations against Mr Smith were 'concerning' but felt the 'risk would be ameliorated to an acceptable level' with strict bail conditions. Mr Smith was released on supervised bail, with conditions including a 10pm to 6am curfew and not to drive a motor vehicle. 'This isn't to say I'm not concerned about the allegations of particularly your driving behaviour,' Ms Medina said. 'These are significantly concerning risks — I'm hoping you comply.' Mr Smith will return to court on a later date.
Perth Now
09-05-2025
- Perth Now
Two men charged for vile kangaroo act
Two men have been charged in connection after allegedly running down a kangaroo in an outer Melbourne suburb. Credit: Supplied Two men have been charged for allegedly running down a kangaroo in an outer Melbourne suburb. Police allege the two men deliberately drove along Hallam North Road in Lysterfield South and into a group of kangaroos about 10.20pm on April 23. One of the kangaroos died at the scene. Two men have been charged for allegedly mowing down a kangaroo. NewsWire / Nadir Kinani Credit: News Corp Australia Footage of the moment the men allegedly hit the kangaroos was captured on CCTV cameras, before getting out of the car and handling the lifeless animal. Police conducted warrants at two properties in Melbourne. Conservation Regulator Vic Credit: Supplied A Nissan Patrol was also seized during the arrest. Conservation Regulator Vic Credit: Supplied Officers were filmed seizing several items from the properties, including a Nissan Patrol, which was towed from the property. Both men have been charged with aggravated cruelty to animals and destroying protected wildlife. They will appear at Dandenong Magistrates' Court on August 19.
