Erin Patterson trial: Department of Health probed beef Wellington poisonings as a suspected outbreak, jury told

West Australian

26-05-2025

Details of a probe launched by health authorities into the deadly mushroom lunch, including conversations with Erin Patterson, have been aired in her triple-murder trial.
The trial, now in its fifth week, heard from senior public health officer Sally Anne Atkinson about a Department of Health investigation in the week following the lunch on Monday.
Prosecutors allege Ms Patterson used death cap mushrooms to deliberately spike a lunch with her in-laws on July 29, 2023, while her defence argues the deaths were a tragic accident.
Her husband Simon Patterson's parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and aunt, Heather Wilkinson, died in early August 2023 from multiple organ failure due to death cap poisoning.
Ms Patterson has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder and a fourth charge of attempted murder over the illness suffered by Heather's husband Ian Wilkinson – who survived the lunch.
Giving evidence on Monday, Ms Atkinson told the jury she launched a probe into the then-suspected mushroom poisonings after the Department of Health was contacted by a doctor at the Austin Hospital on July 31.
She said she convened a working group to investigate the cause and any public health concerns, speaking with Ms Patterson a number of times over the following days.
Ms Atkinson told the court she requested the Monash Council inspect Asian grocers in the Clayton, Oakleigh and Mount Waverley suburbs after Ms Patterson reported buying dried mushrooms in April 2023.
She said Ms Patterson told her she purchased the mushrooms for a pasta dish, but did not use them after noting they had a 'funny and strong' smell.
Instead, she told the jury, Ms Patterson said they sat in a Tupperware container in the pantry until she pulled them out for the lunch, where they were added to fresh mushrooms and processed into a 'paste'.
'She said it was a meal she never made before and she wanted to do something fancy,' Ms Atkinson said.
In a series of conversations and text messages, Ms Atkinson probed Ms Patterson further on the mushrooms, questioning where they came from and what the package looked like.
She told the jury Ms Patterson was unable to say where they were bought, believed she paid cash, and no longer had the packaging.
'It didn't look very professional,' Ms Atkinson recounted Erin telling her about the small see-through bag with a white label.
'Looking at the size and volume of things in the supermarket I realise there's no way it can have been 100g worth,' a message on August 2 from Ms Patterson reads.
'I was thinking about the weight of that amount of fresh mushrooms I think but dried weigh a lot less. It was probably more like 20g dry in a little snack size bag but without the resealable top.'
Ms Atkinson is expected to continue giving evidence when the hearing resumes at 10.30am on Tuesday.
The trial continues.