Woman accused of poisoning in-laws denies using different coloured plate to avoid deadly mushrooms
Alasdair Pal
An Australian woman accused of the murder of three elderly relatives of her estranged husband by feeding them poisonous mushrooms, yesterday disputed accounts of the fatal lunch given by other witnesses, a court heard.
Erin Patterson (50) is charged with the July 2023 murders of her mother-in-law Gail Patterson, father-in-law Donald Patterson and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson, along with the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson, Heather's husband.
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Irish Daily Mirror
19 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Jockey banned for fighting rival after five-word taunt sparked post-race scrap
Jockey Noel Callow has been handed a three-month suspension following a brawl he initiated with a fellow rider. The legendary Australian rider, nicknamed 'The King', has won more than 2,000 races, including five at Group 1 level, earning over £20million in his homeland. The 50-year-old pleaded guilty to improper conduct after getting into a scrap in the male jockeys' room at Doomben, Queensland last month. Callow was taken to the hospital after showing signs of concussion, which caused stewards to adjourn their inquiry on the day of the incident. When the investigation resumed, it emerged that the altercation started when Callow stood too close to Kyle Wilson-Taylor during weigh-in. Wilson-Taylor had to shove him aside to leave the scales, warning Callow: "I'm not scared of you", per the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission stewards' report. Callow then followed Wilson-Taylor into the changing room and "made aggressive contact" from behind, sparking "a physical altercation." The scuffle saw both men hit the deck, with Wilson-Taylor landing two blows to Callow's head while on top of him before they were separated. Despite the tussle, only Callow faced charges for behaviour detrimental to the interests of racing. Callow's solicitor informed the panel that the confrontation was brief, lasting just 15 or 20 seconds, and happened away from public view. His counsel argued it was a "momentary loss of temper", "out of character over recent times" and "unlikely to be repeated." Callow had issued an apology and was pursuing anger management guidance. The disciplinary panel deduced that Callow was the primary provocateur in the altercation and, whilst there was existing tension between the two, it didn't justify his behaviour. The findings highlighted: "Offences of this nature are unacceptable and cannot be condoned by the industry or industry regulators, in this case QRIC stewards." Callow received a three-month ban, which will be reduced to two provided he visits a sports psychologist and completes an anger management programme during his suspension.
Sunday World
2 days ago
- Sunday World
Judge throws out case of ex-US politican who moved to Ireland after scandal
The judge threw out the speeding case after former Florida senator Joe Gerston claimed sign displayed wrong info This is the former Florida Senator who settled in Millisle after fleeing America 35 years ago amidst a sex scandal who this week defended himself in a speeding ticket case – and won! Joe Gerston, an accomplished barrister, appeared at Ards Magistrates' Court where he bamboozled the PPS, their star witness who clocked him allegedly speeding, and a judge who on hearing his detailed defence – chuckedthe case This is the former Florida Senator who settled in Millisle after leaving America 35 years ago amidst a scandal who this week defended himself in a speeding ticket case – and won! Joe Gerston, an accomplished barrister, appeared at Ards Magistrates' Court where he bamboozled the PPS, their star witness who clocked him allegedly speeding, and a judge who on hearing his detailed defence – chucked his case out. Mr Gerston is originally from Miami but claims he is now an Australian national, says he fell in love with Northern Ireland 20 years ago and bought a house a stones throw from the beach in the Co Down seaside town in 2018. The former Democratic Party member, who says he still practices law all over the world and specialises in EU law, told the Sunday World he decided to fight his summons for speeding on a 'point of principle'. The 77-year-old, who left the US when he was 46-years-old, was summoned to court after a mobile speeding van clocked him doing 44mph in a 30mph zone in Donaghadee. Former Florida Senator Joe Gerston. News in 90 Seconds - June 11th 'This coming December will be my 50th year as a court room lawyer – and over 50 years you look at things legally and I said to myself this is not right. 'There's only one place this guy (the speed camera operator) could have taken the shot…and I said you can't get away with this, this is bu**sh**, this is ridiculous. 'In my business, preparation is everything and I over-prepare – my win rate is quite high.' Mr Gersten told us he spent more money defending himself than had he just pleaded guilty and paid the fine. And he took us to the spot where he was supposedly caught speeding as he travelled towards Bangor. Effectively, he convinced the judge that there were no signs telling him the speed limit was 30mph and as he travelled out of the town centre the only sign he saw was at the far end of the town limits which, in the direction he was travelling, showed the limit was 40mph. According to the court report, Mr Gersten revealed that through calling evidence and cross examination, he intended to make the case that when his car was captured doing 40 in a 30, 'it was an honest mistake which is a reasonable defence in a strict liability case'. Joe Gerston. Commenting that 'pretty much all of the speeding cases' in Northern Ireland come through his court, Judge Hamill told Mr Gersten: 'I'm something of an expert on the subject.' The former US politician explained to us afterwards how he beat the speeding charge and had his case chucked out. He used photographs he had taken and showed the judge a photo of a sign saying 'Welcome to Donaghadee' – which he assumed meant that's the start of the town. He told the Sunday World: 'I showed the judge how all the signs going towards Bangor said 40mph and emphasised it was 40 on one side, and 30 on the other side of the road if I'd been coming in the other direction.' Colin Tumelty, the driver of a mobile safety camera vehicle, testified that on February 22 last year he parked his vehicle at the entrance to the Breckenridge development in Donaghadee, his camera facing towards the 30 zone. He told the lawyer for the PPS that 'coming from the Newtownards side, there's 30mph signs at the rugby club' on either side of the road and when pressed by the judge whether there was 'any room for confusion as to whether it's a 30 or a 40 zone,' he was adamant 'no, it's very clear.' During Mr Gersten's cross examination, the witness said that as far as he remembered the defendant was driving towards Bangor. 'So, is it fair to say that the sign I saw said 40,' the former senator suggested and Mr Tumelty agreed, 'yes, that's correct given the direction you were travelling.' 'Hold up,' Judge Hamill interjected, 'repeat that.' During the ensuing exchange between the defendant, the judge and Mr Tumelty, there were several discussions about signs, what was on the back of signs, what speed zone was where and photographs swapped back and forth. Eventually, it was established that Mr Gersten would have seen a 40 sign so would have been leaving a 30 zone, entering a 40 zone. Interjecting, Judge Hamill declared that he was 'totally confused' and told the PPS 'you cannot prove this case beyond reasonable doubt – case dismissed.' On Friday, Joe Gersten confirmed this was the first time he'd practised law in a court room in Northern Ireland but says he still practises in England and in other countries. But while telling us he had been a Florida Senator and House of Representatives member back in the US during the 70s and 80s, he did not go into detail about why he left. However, according to multiple reports in a number of news organisations Mr Gerston was caught up in a scandal which saw him serve 26 days behind bars before fleeing to Australia where he sought and was granted asylum. After he served 26 days in jail for contempt of court for repeatedly refusing to answer a State Attorney's questions over the circumstances of how his Mercedes was stolen on April 29, 1992, Gersten left America in September 1993 and landed in New South Wales in Australia a month later. A member of the Democrats, Mr Gersten served in the Florida House of Representatives from 1974 to 1981 before he was voted on to the Florida Senate from 1982 to 1986. In 1986, he was an unsuccessful candidate for the office of Attorney-General but between '88 and '93, he served as the Commissioner of Dade County, which includes Miami. Having announced that he was going to stand for election as mayor in 1992, his campaign came off the rails over an infamous incident on April 29, 1992 and the circumstances as to how his Mercedes came to be stolen. According to Mr Gersten, he was asleep in his home in Florida when the car was stolen and on discovering the theft when he awoke the next day, he reported the theft to the police. Officers in Dade County recovered the car and arrested two people in it – a drug dealer and a prostitute. Donaghadee Allegations were made against Mr Gersten but he has always strenuously denied the claims and claimed he had been set-up by the late US Attorney-General Janet Reno, while a congressional report also found he had been the victim of a set-up. The Dade County State Attorney's Office investigated the matter and Mr Gersten was repeatedly subpoenaed to answer questions but claiming that he suspected he was being set up for a 'perjury trap,' he refused. A judge held that Mr Gersten was in contempt of court and ordered him jailed until he agreed to answer questions. Ultimately, he served 26 days in prison before he was set free on appeal and he fled America, landing in Australia where he was eventually granted asylum, meaning that he could not be deported back to the USA where, given that he has not 'purged the contempt' by answering the DA's questions, he could still potentially be held in contempt. When asked about the alleged scandal which saw him incarcerated for 26 days and claims he had fled the US Mr Gersten told the Sunday World: 'I never 'fled' anywhere. There was never any restrictions on my travel. 'That was a weekly rag newspaper that I never gave interviews to. 'It had gay ownership that also owned a gay club that killed hundreds of customers during the AIDS epidemic and hated me for closing there (sic) very profitable club. 'Also note that Australia granted me political asylum. Please refer to the 20 articles about me in The Sydney Morning Herald And especially the 26-page US Congressional Report published online that states that I was the victim of a conspiracy by the US Attorney General who 'abused' her prosecutorial power. 'Also note that the New South Wales Supreme Court (Appellate Division) issued a very strong judicial decision in my favour (including expressly condemning US courts) on this very matter.'
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Inside disgusting house of horrors where Pheobe Bishop ‘lived with her killers'… as even ‘the air tastes dirty'
HARROWING footage has revealed the disgusting conditions teen Pheobe Bishop was living in with her two alleged killer housemates. Towering piles of rubbish, chains, dog toys and dirty bed sheets can all be seen in the James Wood and Tanika Bromley. 9 Harrowing footage has revealed the disgusting conditions teen Pheobe Bishop was living in with her two alleged killer housemates Credit: 7 News 9 Chains and dirty bed sheets can be seen inside the home Credit: 7 News 9 The floor to the bedrooms could barely be seen through the piles of rubbish Credit: 7 News 9 Cops believe Pheobe Bishop was murdered Credit: Facebook Wood, 34, and Bromley, 33, were both And just a day later, human remains were discovered on June 6 by police after a major three week search for a body. As investigations continue into Pheobe's tragic death, the shocking state of her home in Gin Gin has been uncovered. Australian news outlet read more in Pheobe Bishop Before entering, the landlord can be heard in the video announcing: "I can't prepare you enough for this." In almost every room the floor was impossible to see due to the mounds of rubbish. Footage shows mountains of half empty soda bottles, unopened packages and full black bin liners in each room. The furniture was all out of place across the house with the sofas falling apart and the beds stained yellow. Most read in The US Sun Even dog poo appeared to be on the floors of the old Queenslander-style home. Due to the horror conditions and poor cleaning, a major issue with the property was the smell. Watch moment cops arrest Pheobe Bishop murder suspect flatmate The landlord added: 'The air tastes dirty… I don't know how people can be breathing this.' He also revealed the home was officially leased out by Bromley six months ago but she had been given a notice to leave after a recent inspection. Pheobe, from Gin Gin north of Brisbane, hadn't Police first arrested Wood as he was the Cops believe during the drive to the airport, Wood, his girlfriend Bromley, and Pheobe all argued over stopping on the trip. Pheobe wanted to do her makeup in the car as she was on her way to Perth to visit her "high-school sweetheart" boyfriend, Wood said. The teen got her way in the end as Wood said he pulled over less than a kilometre away from their destination. He said: "We wanted to give her five minutes, give her her own space to do what she needed to do." 9 Full black sacks could be seen next to piles of rubbish Credit: 7 News 9 The landlord at the home even admitted 'the air tastes dirty' Credit: 7News 9 Phoebe with her heartbroken mum Credit: Facebook Wood and Bromley then said they walked off and were away from the car for around five minutes. When they returned, Wood said Pheobe and her bag were gone. This was the last time Pheobe was seen as an intense search operation was launched. On May 26, cops made a They believed evidence of a potential murder had been moved to cover up what had happened. On this same day, a new number plate was discovered to have been suspiciously painted and taped over On June 5, police officially charged the couple with murder and two counts of interfering with a corpse. Cops allege Wood, Bromley and Pheobe were all in the car when it arrived at Airport Drive near Bundaberg Airport. They believe that the trio never left the car. Detective Inspector Craig Mansfield said: "Our evidence will outline the fact that three people arrived near to the airport, and three people never exited that vehicle." The pair continue to say they had nothing to do with Pheobe's disappearance or death. Wood and Bromley will appear in court on August 11. Pheobe Bishop timeline May 14: Pheobe Bishop's last known bank transaction takes place. May 15: Pheobe is reportedly dropped off near Bundaberg Airport's terminal by her housemates, James Wood and Tanika Bromley, in order to catch a flight to Brisbane and then to Perth to visit her boyfriend. May 15, 8:30am: Pheobe makes a final phone call to her boyfriend before her scheduled flight. Her phone is then switched off and has remained inactive since. May 15, post-8:30am: Pheobe fails to check in for her flight. CCTV footage confirms she did not enter the airport terminal. May 16: Family and police initiate search efforts. Pheobe's social media accounts show no activity during this period. May 21: Police declare Pheobe's disappearance as suspicious. May 24: Nine days after disappearing, Pheobe's distressed mum pleads the public for information. She says she is "absolutely begging anyone with any information to contact the Queensland Police Service". May 25: The search effort is widened to cover more area and homicide officers are brought in to help. June 4: Police call off the "physical search for Pheobe, who has now been missing for three weeks. June 5: Bromley and Wood are both arrested and charged with one count of murder and two counts of interfering with a corpse June 6: Police find human remains near the area Pheobe was last seen. 9 33-year-old housemate Tanika Bromley Credit: Enterprise 9 34-year-old housemate James Wood Credit: Facebook
