Erin Patterson trial: Alleged mushroom poisoner changed phones frequently
Alleged triple-killer Erin Patterson rotated through mobile phones at a 'frequent' pace, moving her SIM nine times over four years, her trial has been told.
On Monday jurors in the trial, now in it's sixth week, continued to hear from Detective leading Senior Constable Stephen Eppingstall.
Under cross examination from defence barrister Colin Mandy SC, Constable Eppingstall was taken through a 'flow chart' that tracked Ms Patterson's phones from 2019 to 2023.
The record indicates she changed between seven different phones, from LG, Nokia, Samsung and Oppo, nine times until August 2023.
The detective agreed the chart indicated the 'reasonably frequent setting up' of phones.
Previously the jury was told prosecutors allege a Samsung A23, dubbed Phone B in the trial, was factory reset three times before it was handed over to police on August 5 and once remotely the following day.
Mr Mandy took Constable Eppingstall to a section of the flow chart, that showed a factory reset on February 12 was followed by Ms Patterson's son's SIM card being placed into the phone.
The barrister asked if this was 'consistent' with the son taking over the use of that phone.
'Yes, sir,' the officer responded.
Next Mr Mandy took Constable Eppingstall to phone records from a second Samsung A23 dubbed 'Phone A' in the trial.
Prosecutors allege this was Ms Patterson's phone used in the period preceding and immediately after the lunch.
Last week, Constable Eppingstall told the jury the phone had never been located by police.
Mr Mandy confirmed the Telstra records indicate the SIM card 'lost connection' with the network sometime between 12.01pm and 1.45pm on August 5.
It next connected in a different handset, receiving a text message at 1.44am on August 6, he said.
Constable Eppingstall agreed, saying 'that's my understanding' of the records.
Constable Eppingstall, the jury was told last week, was the final witness prosecutors planned to call in their case against Ms Patterson.
The 50-year-old is facing trial after pleading not guilty to murdering three of her husband's relatives and the attempted murder of a fourth.
Prosecutors allege a beef Wellington lunch she served on July 29, 2023, was deliberately poisoned with death cap mushrooms, while her defence argues the case is a tragic accident.
Her husband Simon Patterson's parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and his aunt, Heather Wilkinson died from organ failure in after falling ill following the meal Ms Patterson hosted at her Leongatha home in Victoria's southeast.
Ms Wilkinson's husband, long-serving Korumburra Baptist Church pastor Ian Wilkinson, fell ill following the lunch but recovered after spending about a month and a half in hospital.
The trial continues.
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8 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Mushroom cook opens up on lies to police, in-laws
An accused triple murderer has opened up about lying to police after cooking a deadly mushroom lunch and fibbing to two of her alleged victims about having cancer tests done. But Erin Patterson denies she deliberately foraged for death cap mushrooms and she knew they were inside toxic beef Wellingtons when she served them to her former in-laws. The 50-year-old faced a fourth day in the Supreme Court witness box on Thursday, when she was cross-examined by the prosecution on several lies. Patterson has denied deliberately poisoning her estranged husband's parents, aunt and uncle by serving them death cap mushroom-laced beef Wellingtons in July 2023 at her home in regional Victoria. She has been charged with three murders over the deaths of Don and Gail Patterson, 70, and Heather Wilkinson, 66, and attempted murder over Heather's husband Ian Wilkinson, the only surviving lunch guest. Her defence finished examination of Patterson on Thursday morning, asking about her lies to police after the meal. Patterson admitted she lied during her police interview about foraging for mushrooms, owning a dehydrator and using it to dehydrate food. She said it was a "stupid knee-jerk reaction to just dig deeper and keep lying" in response to being told two of her lunch guests had died. Defence barrister Colin Mandy SC asked if she had ever "intentionally picked death cap mushrooms" to which she said "no". She denied intentionally including the toxic fungi in the beef Wellingtons. The prosecution honed in on Patterson's fibs during cross-examination, accusing her of lying about dehydrating mushrooms because she knew telling police the truth could implicate her in the toxic lunch. "I agree that I lied because I was afraid I would be held responsible," Patterson said. Prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC suggested Patterson disposed of a food dehydrator because she had used it to dehydrate death cap mushrooms, which she denied. Dr Rogers also suggested Patterson had weighed death cap mushrooms to "calculate" the amount needed for "a fatal dose for one person", but Patterson disagreed. The prosecutor asked if she had intended to serve beef Wellington to her estranged husband Simon, who pulled out of the lunch the night before. "If he'd come I would have given him a beef Wellington too, yes, but not one with death cap mushrooms in it intentionally," Patterson said. Dr Rogers asked Patterson about lies she told Don and Gail Patterson, regarding tests on a lump in her arm in the weeks before the lunch. Patterson accepted she did not have a lump and did not have an appointment at hospital, despite telling Gail she did. "I suggest that you told Gail Patterson that you had a lump in your elbow and had to go to St Vincent's Hospital to plant the seed of you having a serious health issue," Dr Rogers said. "I don't think that's right, no," Patterson said. Patterson said she initially thought she had a lump in her elbow and had pain for a number of weeks and felt embarrassed she "probably whinged a bit too much to Don and Gail about it". "They made me feel loved and cared for in the way that they were asking about my health and I didn't want that to stop, so I just kept going," she said. Patterson denied she told her lunch guests she had been diagnosed with cancer and needed advice on how to break this news to her children. "I can't remember the precise words, but I do know what I was trying to communicate was … that I was undergoing investigations around ovarian cancer and might need treatment in that regard in the future," she said. As the trial nears the end of week six, Justice Christopher Beale told the jury he could not put a figure on how much longer it would go for but they should make arrangements. Patterson may continue in the witness box until next week, followed by legal discussions without the jury, and then potentially more evidence before closing addresses which could take two days each. The judge may then take another couple of days to give the jury his directions before they're sent away to deliberate on a verdict. The trial continues. An accused triple murderer has opened up about lying to police after cooking a deadly mushroom lunch and fibbing to two of her alleged victims about having cancer tests done. But Erin Patterson denies she deliberately foraged for death cap mushrooms and she knew they were inside toxic beef Wellingtons when she served them to her former in-laws. The 50-year-old faced a fourth day in the Supreme Court witness box on Thursday, when she was cross-examined by the prosecution on several lies. Patterson has denied deliberately poisoning her estranged husband's parents, aunt and uncle by serving them death cap mushroom-laced beef Wellingtons in July 2023 at her home in regional Victoria. She has been charged with three murders over the deaths of Don and Gail Patterson, 70, and Heather Wilkinson, 66, and attempted murder over Heather's husband Ian Wilkinson, the only surviving lunch guest. Her defence finished examination of Patterson on Thursday morning, asking about her lies to police after the meal. Patterson admitted she lied during her police interview about foraging for mushrooms, owning a dehydrator and using it to dehydrate food. She said it was a "stupid knee-jerk reaction to just dig deeper and keep lying" in response to being told two of her lunch guests had died. Defence barrister Colin Mandy SC asked if she had ever "intentionally picked death cap mushrooms" to which she said "no". She denied intentionally including the toxic fungi in the beef Wellingtons. The prosecution honed in on Patterson's fibs during cross-examination, accusing her of lying about dehydrating mushrooms because she knew telling police the truth could implicate her in the toxic lunch. "I agree that I lied because I was afraid I would be held responsible," Patterson said. Prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC suggested Patterson disposed of a food dehydrator because she had used it to dehydrate death cap mushrooms, which she denied. Dr Rogers also suggested Patterson had weighed death cap mushrooms to "calculate" the amount needed for "a fatal dose for one person", but Patterson disagreed. The prosecutor asked if she had intended to serve beef Wellington to her estranged husband Simon, who pulled out of the lunch the night before. "If he'd come I would have given him a beef Wellington too, yes, but not one with death cap mushrooms in it intentionally," Patterson said. Dr Rogers asked Patterson about lies she told Don and Gail Patterson, regarding tests on a lump in her arm in the weeks before the lunch. Patterson accepted she did not have a lump and did not have an appointment at hospital, despite telling Gail she did. "I suggest that you told Gail Patterson that you had a lump in your elbow and had to go to St Vincent's Hospital to plant the seed of you having a serious health issue," Dr Rogers said. "I don't think that's right, no," Patterson said. Patterson said she initially thought she had a lump in her elbow and had pain for a number of weeks and felt embarrassed she "probably whinged a bit too much to Don and Gail about it". "They made me feel loved and cared for in the way that they were asking about my health and I didn't want that to stop, so I just kept going," she said. Patterson denied she told her lunch guests she had been diagnosed with cancer and needed advice on how to break this news to her children. "I can't remember the precise words, but I do know what I was trying to communicate was … that I was undergoing investigations around ovarian cancer and might need treatment in that regard in the future," she said. As the trial nears the end of week six, Justice Christopher Beale told the jury he could not put a figure on how much longer it would go for but they should make arrangements. Patterson may continue in the witness box until next week, followed by legal discussions without the jury, and then potentially more evidence before closing addresses which could take two days each. The judge may then take another couple of days to give the jury his directions before they're sent away to deliberate on a verdict. The trial continues. An accused triple murderer has opened up about lying to police after cooking a deadly mushroom lunch and fibbing to two of her alleged victims about having cancer tests done. But Erin Patterson denies she deliberately foraged for death cap mushrooms and she knew they were inside toxic beef Wellingtons when she served them to her former in-laws. The 50-year-old faced a fourth day in the Supreme Court witness box on Thursday, when she was cross-examined by the prosecution on several lies. Patterson has denied deliberately poisoning her estranged husband's parents, aunt and uncle by serving them death cap mushroom-laced beef Wellingtons in July 2023 at her home in regional Victoria. She has been charged with three murders over the deaths of Don and Gail Patterson, 70, and Heather Wilkinson, 66, and attempted murder over Heather's husband Ian Wilkinson, the only surviving lunch guest. Her defence finished examination of Patterson on Thursday morning, asking about her lies to police after the meal. Patterson admitted she lied during her police interview about foraging for mushrooms, owning a dehydrator and using it to dehydrate food. She said it was a "stupid knee-jerk reaction to just dig deeper and keep lying" in response to being told two of her lunch guests had died. Defence barrister Colin Mandy SC asked if she had ever "intentionally picked death cap mushrooms" to which she said "no". She denied intentionally including the toxic fungi in the beef Wellingtons. The prosecution honed in on Patterson's fibs during cross-examination, accusing her of lying about dehydrating mushrooms because she knew telling police the truth could implicate her in the toxic lunch. "I agree that I lied because I was afraid I would be held responsible," Patterson said. Prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC suggested Patterson disposed of a food dehydrator because she had used it to dehydrate death cap mushrooms, which she denied. Dr Rogers also suggested Patterson had weighed death cap mushrooms to "calculate" the amount needed for "a fatal dose for one person", but Patterson disagreed. The prosecutor asked if she had intended to serve beef Wellington to her estranged husband Simon, who pulled out of the lunch the night before. "If he'd come I would have given him a beef Wellington too, yes, but not one with death cap mushrooms in it intentionally," Patterson said. Dr Rogers asked Patterson about lies she told Don and Gail Patterson, regarding tests on a lump in her arm in the weeks before the lunch. Patterson accepted she did not have a lump and did not have an appointment at hospital, despite telling Gail she did. "I suggest that you told Gail Patterson that you had a lump in your elbow and had to go to St Vincent's Hospital to plant the seed of you having a serious health issue," Dr Rogers said. "I don't think that's right, no," Patterson said. Patterson said she initially thought she had a lump in her elbow and had pain for a number of weeks and felt embarrassed she "probably whinged a bit too much to Don and Gail about it". "They made me feel loved and cared for in the way that they were asking about my health and I didn't want that to stop, so I just kept going," she said. Patterson denied she told her lunch guests she had been diagnosed with cancer and needed advice on how to break this news to her children. "I can't remember the precise words, but I do know what I was trying to communicate was … that I was undergoing investigations around ovarian cancer and might need treatment in that regard in the future," she said. As the trial nears the end of week six, Justice Christopher Beale told the jury he could not put a figure on how much longer it would go for but they should make arrangements. Patterson may continue in the witness box until next week, followed by legal discussions without the jury, and then potentially more evidence before closing addresses which could take two days each. The judge may then take another couple of days to give the jury his directions before they're sent away to deliberate on a verdict. The trial continues. An accused triple murderer has opened up about lying to police after cooking a deadly mushroom lunch and fibbing to two of her alleged victims about having cancer tests done. But Erin Patterson denies she deliberately foraged for death cap mushrooms and she knew they were inside toxic beef Wellingtons when she served them to her former in-laws. The 50-year-old faced a fourth day in the Supreme Court witness box on Thursday, when she was cross-examined by the prosecution on several lies. Patterson has denied deliberately poisoning her estranged husband's parents, aunt and uncle by serving them death cap mushroom-laced beef Wellingtons in July 2023 at her home in regional Victoria. She has been charged with three murders over the deaths of Don and Gail Patterson, 70, and Heather Wilkinson, 66, and attempted murder over Heather's husband Ian Wilkinson, the only surviving lunch guest. Her defence finished examination of Patterson on Thursday morning, asking about her lies to police after the meal. Patterson admitted she lied during her police interview about foraging for mushrooms, owning a dehydrator and using it to dehydrate food. She said it was a "stupid knee-jerk reaction to just dig deeper and keep lying" in response to being told two of her lunch guests had died. Defence barrister Colin Mandy SC asked if she had ever "intentionally picked death cap mushrooms" to which she said "no". She denied intentionally including the toxic fungi in the beef Wellingtons. The prosecution honed in on Patterson's fibs during cross-examination, accusing her of lying about dehydrating mushrooms because she knew telling police the truth could implicate her in the toxic lunch. "I agree that I lied because I was afraid I would be held responsible," Patterson said. Prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC suggested Patterson disposed of a food dehydrator because she had used it to dehydrate death cap mushrooms, which she denied. Dr Rogers also suggested Patterson had weighed death cap mushrooms to "calculate" the amount needed for "a fatal dose for one person", but Patterson disagreed. The prosecutor asked if she had intended to serve beef Wellington to her estranged husband Simon, who pulled out of the lunch the night before. "If he'd come I would have given him a beef Wellington too, yes, but not one with death cap mushrooms in it intentionally," Patterson said. Dr Rogers asked Patterson about lies she told Don and Gail Patterson, regarding tests on a lump in her arm in the weeks before the lunch. Patterson accepted she did not have a lump and did not have an appointment at hospital, despite telling Gail she did. "I suggest that you told Gail Patterson that you had a lump in your elbow and had to go to St Vincent's Hospital to plant the seed of you having a serious health issue," Dr Rogers said. "I don't think that's right, no," Patterson said. Patterson said she initially thought she had a lump in her elbow and had pain for a number of weeks and felt embarrassed she "probably whinged a bit too much to Don and Gail about it". "They made me feel loved and cared for in the way that they were asking about my health and I didn't want that to stop, so I just kept going," she said. Patterson denied she told her lunch guests she had been diagnosed with cancer and needed advice on how to break this news to her children. "I can't remember the precise words, but I do know what I was trying to communicate was … that I was undergoing investigations around ovarian cancer and might need treatment in that regard in the future," she said. As the trial nears the end of week six, Justice Christopher Beale told the jury he could not put a figure on how much longer it would go for but they should make arrangements. Patterson may continue in the witness box until next week, followed by legal discussions without the jury, and then potentially more evidence before closing addresses which could take two days each. The judge may then take another couple of days to give the jury his directions before they're sent away to deliberate on a verdict. The trial continues.
The Advertiser
10 hours ago
- The Advertiser
'No, that's not true': accused mushroom killer denies deliberate poisoning
Accused death cap killer Erin Patterson has denied that she deliberately poisoned a beef Wellington served to her in-laws as she gives evidence in her fourth day on the stand. Ms Patterson, 50, is facing three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder after she allegedly hosted a fatal lunch for her estranged husband's family in July 2023. Ms Patterson has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has always maintained her innocence. She was questioned for three days by her barrister, Colin Mandy SC, before prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC started her cross-examination on June 5. The prosecutor asked Ms Patterson if she had told Facebook friends that she was an atheist. Ms Patterson said she had not. Dr Rogers turned her line of questioning towards emoji selection in a message sent by Ms Patterson. The message was sent to some of Ms Patterson's Facebook friends after prayer was suggested by Don Patterson in response to her marital and family problems. The prosecutor and Ms Patterson went back and forth over the meaning of an emoji that had a straight line for a mouth. Dr Rogers suggested that the emoji represented an 'eyeroll' that was meant to mock the use of Christian prayer in Patterson family disputes. "I wasn't mocking, I was frustrated," Ms Patterson said. The court was shown images, which were described as screenshots with information about brain and ovarian cancer. Ms Patterson said she could not be sure if she had taken the photos, but generally agreed that she had made the internet searches. "I suggest that you accessed these images of information about cancer in May 2023," Dr Rogers said. "I don't think I did," Ms Patterson said. Ms Patterson told the court that she had been "quite worried" about her health in late 2021 and early 2022, but not in 2023. Dr Rogers suggested that Ms Patterson had taken the screenshots to bolster her claims that she had cancer. "I suggest this information from the internet would allow you to tell a more convincing lie about having cancer," Dr Rogers said. "I mean, theoretically that's true, but it's not what I did," Ms Patterson said. Dr Rogers and Ms Patterson went back and forth about false cancer claims allegedly made by the accused. "I suggest that you said at the lunch that you had tests and they found ovarian cancer," Dr Rogers said. "I don't think I put it that precisely...I don't remember saying I had a diagnosis," Ms Patterson said. "You dispute that you said they found ovarian cancer?" Dr Rogers said. "Yeah, I do, I do," Ms Patterson said. The 50-year-old said that she didn't say anything "that specific". Dr Rogers asked about a dehydrator found at Koonwarra Landfill and Transfer Station that had Ms Patterson's fingerprints on it. A manual and an invoice for the dehydrator, bought on April 28, 2023, further suggested that the appliance belonged to Ms Patterson, Dr Rogers said. Dr Rogers suggested to Ms Patterson that she lied to police about buying, using and disposing of the dehydrator because she had used it to dehydrate death cap mushrooms. "You lied about dehydrating food and mushrooms because you knew that if you told police the truth, then that would implicate you in the poisoned lunch. Agree or disagree?" Dr Rogers said. "I agree that I lied because I was afraid I would be held responsible," Ms Patterson said. Dr Rogers also asked if Ms Patterson had intentionally dehydrated poisonous mushrooms at her home. "You knew that they were death cap mushrooms that you'd been dehydrating, correct?" Dr Rogers said. "No, I didn't know that," Ms Patterson said. Dr Rogers continued her rapid questioning. "You were very keen to dispose of any evidence that might connect you with the possession of death cap mushrooms, correct?" Dr Rogers said. "No, I didn't," Ms Patterson said. The prosecutor also asked Ms Patterson if she had attempted to dehydrate other foods in the appliance that was found at Koonwarra Landfill. She said that she had also experimented with apples, bananas and other fruit. "And did you take photos of them?" Dr Rogers said. "I don't remember, I might've, I don't remember," Ms Patterson said. Ms Patterson told the court that she picked mushrooms from a number of local sites after she bought the dehydrator on April 28, 2023. "On or after 28 April, 2023, and before the lunch, did you pick wild mushrooms?" Dr Rogers said. "I did," Ms Patterson said. She said she picked mushrooms in Korumburra Botanic Gardens, a nearby rail trail and at her Leongatha home. Dr Rogers turned the line of questioning to a conversation about foraged or wild mushrooms that Ms Patterson had with a doctor at Monash Hospital. The doctor previously told the court that Ms Patterson had denied using foraged or wild mushrooms in the fatal lunch, Dr Rogers said. Ms Patterson confirmed that the doctor "did say that" but that she hadn't believed the statement "was a lie at the time". Dr Rogers asked Ms Patterson if she had intended to serve the same meal to her estranged husband if he had attended the lunch. "You intended to serve one of those beef Wellingtons to Simon Patterson, had he turned up at the lunch?" Dr Rogers said. "If he'd come, I would have given him a beef Wellington too. But not one with death cap mushrooms intentionally," Ms Patterson said. The trial is continuing. Accused death cap killer Erin Patterson has denied that she deliberately poisoned a beef Wellington served to her in-laws as she gives evidence in her fourth day on the stand. Ms Patterson, 50, is facing three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder after she allegedly hosted a fatal lunch for her estranged husband's family in July 2023. Ms Patterson has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has always maintained her innocence. She was questioned for three days by her barrister, Colin Mandy SC, before prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC started her cross-examination on June 5. The prosecutor asked Ms Patterson if she had told Facebook friends that she was an atheist. Ms Patterson said she had not. Dr Rogers turned her line of questioning towards emoji selection in a message sent by Ms Patterson. The message was sent to some of Ms Patterson's Facebook friends after prayer was suggested by Don Patterson in response to her marital and family problems. The prosecutor and Ms Patterson went back and forth over the meaning of an emoji that had a straight line for a mouth. Dr Rogers suggested that the emoji represented an 'eyeroll' that was meant to mock the use of Christian prayer in Patterson family disputes. "I wasn't mocking, I was frustrated," Ms Patterson said. The court was shown images, which were described as screenshots with information about brain and ovarian cancer. Ms Patterson said she could not be sure if she had taken the photos, but generally agreed that she had made the internet searches. "I suggest that you accessed these images of information about cancer in May 2023," Dr Rogers said. "I don't think I did," Ms Patterson said. Ms Patterson told the court that she had been "quite worried" about her health in late 2021 and early 2022, but not in 2023. Dr Rogers suggested that Ms Patterson had taken the screenshots to bolster her claims that she had cancer. "I suggest this information from the internet would allow you to tell a more convincing lie about having cancer," Dr Rogers said. "I mean, theoretically that's true, but it's not what I did," Ms Patterson said. Dr Rogers and Ms Patterson went back and forth about false cancer claims allegedly made by the accused. "I suggest that you said at the lunch that you had tests and they found ovarian cancer," Dr Rogers said. "I don't think I put it that precisely...I don't remember saying I had a diagnosis," Ms Patterson said. "You dispute that you said they found ovarian cancer?" Dr Rogers said. "Yeah, I do, I do," Ms Patterson said. The 50-year-old said that she didn't say anything "that specific". Dr Rogers asked about a dehydrator found at Koonwarra Landfill and Transfer Station that had Ms Patterson's fingerprints on it. A manual and an invoice for the dehydrator, bought on April 28, 2023, further suggested that the appliance belonged to Ms Patterson, Dr Rogers said. Dr Rogers suggested to Ms Patterson that she lied to police about buying, using and disposing of the dehydrator because she had used it to dehydrate death cap mushrooms. "You lied about dehydrating food and mushrooms because you knew that if you told police the truth, then that would implicate you in the poisoned lunch. Agree or disagree?" Dr Rogers said. "I agree that I lied because I was afraid I would be held responsible," Ms Patterson said. Dr Rogers also asked if Ms Patterson had intentionally dehydrated poisonous mushrooms at her home. "You knew that they were death cap mushrooms that you'd been dehydrating, correct?" Dr Rogers said. "No, I didn't know that," Ms Patterson said. Dr Rogers continued her rapid questioning. "You were very keen to dispose of any evidence that might connect you with the possession of death cap mushrooms, correct?" Dr Rogers said. "No, I didn't," Ms Patterson said. The prosecutor also asked Ms Patterson if she had attempted to dehydrate other foods in the appliance that was found at Koonwarra Landfill. She said that she had also experimented with apples, bananas and other fruit. "And did you take photos of them?" Dr Rogers said. "I don't remember, I might've, I don't remember," Ms Patterson said. Ms Patterson told the court that she picked mushrooms from a number of local sites after she bought the dehydrator on April 28, 2023. "On or after 28 April, 2023, and before the lunch, did you pick wild mushrooms?" Dr Rogers said. "I did," Ms Patterson said. She said she picked mushrooms in Korumburra Botanic Gardens, a nearby rail trail and at her Leongatha home. Dr Rogers turned the line of questioning to a conversation about foraged or wild mushrooms that Ms Patterson had with a doctor at Monash Hospital. The doctor previously told the court that Ms Patterson had denied using foraged or wild mushrooms in the fatal lunch, Dr Rogers said. Ms Patterson confirmed that the doctor "did say that" but that she hadn't believed the statement "was a lie at the time". Dr Rogers asked Ms Patterson if she had intended to serve the same meal to her estranged husband if he had attended the lunch. "You intended to serve one of those beef Wellingtons to Simon Patterson, had he turned up at the lunch?" Dr Rogers said. "If he'd come, I would have given him a beef Wellington too. But not one with death cap mushrooms intentionally," Ms Patterson said. The trial is continuing. Accused death cap killer Erin Patterson has denied that she deliberately poisoned a beef Wellington served to her in-laws as she gives evidence in her fourth day on the stand. Ms Patterson, 50, is facing three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder after she allegedly hosted a fatal lunch for her estranged husband's family in July 2023. Ms Patterson has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has always maintained her innocence. She was questioned for three days by her barrister, Colin Mandy SC, before prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC started her cross-examination on June 5. The prosecutor asked Ms Patterson if she had told Facebook friends that she was an atheist. Ms Patterson said she had not. Dr Rogers turned her line of questioning towards emoji selection in a message sent by Ms Patterson. The message was sent to some of Ms Patterson's Facebook friends after prayer was suggested by Don Patterson in response to her marital and family problems. The prosecutor and Ms Patterson went back and forth over the meaning of an emoji that had a straight line for a mouth. Dr Rogers suggested that the emoji represented an 'eyeroll' that was meant to mock the use of Christian prayer in Patterson family disputes. "I wasn't mocking, I was frustrated," Ms Patterson said. The court was shown images, which were described as screenshots with information about brain and ovarian cancer. Ms Patterson said she could not be sure if she had taken the photos, but generally agreed that she had made the internet searches. "I suggest that you accessed these images of information about cancer in May 2023," Dr Rogers said. "I don't think I did," Ms Patterson said. Ms Patterson told the court that she had been "quite worried" about her health in late 2021 and early 2022, but not in 2023. Dr Rogers suggested that Ms Patterson had taken the screenshots to bolster her claims that she had cancer. "I suggest this information from the internet would allow you to tell a more convincing lie about having cancer," Dr Rogers said. "I mean, theoretically that's true, but it's not what I did," Ms Patterson said. Dr Rogers and Ms Patterson went back and forth about false cancer claims allegedly made by the accused. "I suggest that you said at the lunch that you had tests and they found ovarian cancer," Dr Rogers said. "I don't think I put it that precisely...I don't remember saying I had a diagnosis," Ms Patterson said. "You dispute that you said they found ovarian cancer?" Dr Rogers said. "Yeah, I do, I do," Ms Patterson said. The 50-year-old said that she didn't say anything "that specific". Dr Rogers asked about a dehydrator found at Koonwarra Landfill and Transfer Station that had Ms Patterson's fingerprints on it. A manual and an invoice for the dehydrator, bought on April 28, 2023, further suggested that the appliance belonged to Ms Patterson, Dr Rogers said. Dr Rogers suggested to Ms Patterson that she lied to police about buying, using and disposing of the dehydrator because she had used it to dehydrate death cap mushrooms. "You lied about dehydrating food and mushrooms because you knew that if you told police the truth, then that would implicate you in the poisoned lunch. Agree or disagree?" Dr Rogers said. "I agree that I lied because I was afraid I would be held responsible," Ms Patterson said. Dr Rogers also asked if Ms Patterson had intentionally dehydrated poisonous mushrooms at her home. "You knew that they were death cap mushrooms that you'd been dehydrating, correct?" Dr Rogers said. "No, I didn't know that," Ms Patterson said. Dr Rogers continued her rapid questioning. "You were very keen to dispose of any evidence that might connect you with the possession of death cap mushrooms, correct?" Dr Rogers said. "No, I didn't," Ms Patterson said. The prosecutor also asked Ms Patterson if she had attempted to dehydrate other foods in the appliance that was found at Koonwarra Landfill. She said that she had also experimented with apples, bananas and other fruit. "And did you take photos of them?" Dr Rogers said. "I don't remember, I might've, I don't remember," Ms Patterson said. Ms Patterson told the court that she picked mushrooms from a number of local sites after she bought the dehydrator on April 28, 2023. "On or after 28 April, 2023, and before the lunch, did you pick wild mushrooms?" Dr Rogers said. "I did," Ms Patterson said. She said she picked mushrooms in Korumburra Botanic Gardens, a nearby rail trail and at her Leongatha home. Dr Rogers turned the line of questioning to a conversation about foraged or wild mushrooms that Ms Patterson had with a doctor at Monash Hospital. The doctor previously told the court that Ms Patterson had denied using foraged or wild mushrooms in the fatal lunch, Dr Rogers said. Ms Patterson confirmed that the doctor "did say that" but that she hadn't believed the statement "was a lie at the time". Dr Rogers asked Ms Patterson if she had intended to serve the same meal to her estranged husband if he had attended the lunch. "You intended to serve one of those beef Wellingtons to Simon Patterson, had he turned up at the lunch?" Dr Rogers said. "If he'd come, I would have given him a beef Wellington too. But not one with death cap mushrooms intentionally," Ms Patterson said. The trial is continuing. Accused death cap killer Erin Patterson has denied that she deliberately poisoned a beef Wellington served to her in-laws as she gives evidence in her fourth day on the stand. Ms Patterson, 50, is facing three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder after she allegedly hosted a fatal lunch for her estranged husband's family in July 2023. Ms Patterson has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has always maintained her innocence. She was questioned for three days by her barrister, Colin Mandy SC, before prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC started her cross-examination on June 5. The prosecutor asked Ms Patterson if she had told Facebook friends that she was an atheist. Ms Patterson said she had not. Dr Rogers turned her line of questioning towards emoji selection in a message sent by Ms Patterson. The message was sent to some of Ms Patterson's Facebook friends after prayer was suggested by Don Patterson in response to her marital and family problems. The prosecutor and Ms Patterson went back and forth over the meaning of an emoji that had a straight line for a mouth. Dr Rogers suggested that the emoji represented an 'eyeroll' that was meant to mock the use of Christian prayer in Patterson family disputes. "I wasn't mocking, I was frustrated," Ms Patterson said. The court was shown images, which were described as screenshots with information about brain and ovarian cancer. Ms Patterson said she could not be sure if she had taken the photos, but generally agreed that she had made the internet searches. "I suggest that you accessed these images of information about cancer in May 2023," Dr Rogers said. "I don't think I did," Ms Patterson said. Ms Patterson told the court that she had been "quite worried" about her health in late 2021 and early 2022, but not in 2023. Dr Rogers suggested that Ms Patterson had taken the screenshots to bolster her claims that she had cancer. "I suggest this information from the internet would allow you to tell a more convincing lie about having cancer," Dr Rogers said. "I mean, theoretically that's true, but it's not what I did," Ms Patterson said. Dr Rogers and Ms Patterson went back and forth about false cancer claims allegedly made by the accused. "I suggest that you said at the lunch that you had tests and they found ovarian cancer," Dr Rogers said. "I don't think I put it that precisely...I don't remember saying I had a diagnosis," Ms Patterson said. "You dispute that you said they found ovarian cancer?" Dr Rogers said. "Yeah, I do, I do," Ms Patterson said. The 50-year-old said that she didn't say anything "that specific". Dr Rogers asked about a dehydrator found at Koonwarra Landfill and Transfer Station that had Ms Patterson's fingerprints on it. A manual and an invoice for the dehydrator, bought on April 28, 2023, further suggested that the appliance belonged to Ms Patterson, Dr Rogers said. Dr Rogers suggested to Ms Patterson that she lied to police about buying, using and disposing of the dehydrator because she had used it to dehydrate death cap mushrooms. "You lied about dehydrating food and mushrooms because you knew that if you told police the truth, then that would implicate you in the poisoned lunch. Agree or disagree?" Dr Rogers said. "I agree that I lied because I was afraid I would be held responsible," Ms Patterson said. Dr Rogers also asked if Ms Patterson had intentionally dehydrated poisonous mushrooms at her home. "You knew that they were death cap mushrooms that you'd been dehydrating, correct?" Dr Rogers said. "No, I didn't know that," Ms Patterson said. Dr Rogers continued her rapid questioning. "You were very keen to dispose of any evidence that might connect you with the possession of death cap mushrooms, correct?" Dr Rogers said. "No, I didn't," Ms Patterson said. The prosecutor also asked Ms Patterson if she had attempted to dehydrate other foods in the appliance that was found at Koonwarra Landfill. She said that she had also experimented with apples, bananas and other fruit. "And did you take photos of them?" Dr Rogers said. "I don't remember, I might've, I don't remember," Ms Patterson said. Ms Patterson told the court that she picked mushrooms from a number of local sites after she bought the dehydrator on April 28, 2023. "On or after 28 April, 2023, and before the lunch, did you pick wild mushrooms?" Dr Rogers said. "I did," Ms Patterson said. She said she picked mushrooms in Korumburra Botanic Gardens, a nearby rail trail and at her Leongatha home. Dr Rogers turned the line of questioning to a conversation about foraged or wild mushrooms that Ms Patterson had with a doctor at Monash Hospital. The doctor previously told the court that Ms Patterson had denied using foraged or wild mushrooms in the fatal lunch, Dr Rogers said. Ms Patterson confirmed that the doctor "did say that" but that she hadn't believed the statement "was a lie at the time". Dr Rogers asked Ms Patterson if she had intended to serve the same meal to her estranged husband if he had attended the lunch. "You intended to serve one of those beef Wellingtons to Simon Patterson, had he turned up at the lunch?" Dr Rogers said. "If he'd come, I would have given him a beef Wellington too. But not one with death cap mushrooms intentionally," Ms Patterson said. The trial is continuing.
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'Stupid knee-jerk reaction': Erin Patterson on her lies
Erin Patterson says her lies to police after cooking a deadly meal for her estranged husband's family were a "stupid knee-jerk reaction" to finding out people had become sick. The accused triple murderer, 50, entered the witness box for a fourth day before a Supreme Court jury on Thursday. She has pleaded not guilty to the murder of her former in-laws Don and Gail Patterson, 70, and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, 66, and the attempted murder of Heather's husband Ian. All three died in hospital days after eating death cap mushroom-laced beef Wellingtons in July 2023, at her Leongatha home in regional Victoria. Defence barrister Colin Mandy SC finished his examination in chief of Patterson on Thursday morning by asking about her lies to police. Citing her police interview on August 5, 2023, he asked Patterson if she had lied to police about never having dehydrated food and denying ownership of a dehydrator. "Were those lies?" Mr Mandy asked. "Yes," Patterson replied. He then asked her why she lied to Victoria Police detectives about the dehydrator. "I had disposed of it a few days earlier in the context of thinking that maybe mushrooms that I'd foraged for the meal I prepared was responsible for making people sick," Patterson said. After police told her Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson had died, during a search of her home before the interview, she had a "stupid knee-jerk reaction to just dig deeper and keep lying". "I was just scared, but I shouldn't have done it," Patterson told the court. He asked Patterson if her answer to police that she had "never" foraged for mushrooms was also a lie. "Yes, they were both lies," she replied. Mr Mandy then asked if she intended to kill or cause serious injury to each of her lunch guests by serving them poisonous beef Wellingtons. "No, I didn't," she replied. When asked if she intended to harm them, she said no. Crown prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC began her cross-examination of Patterson before midday and went straight into her lies. She put to Patterson that she had disposed of a food dehydrator because she had been using it to dehydrate death cap mushrooms. "I didn't know that I'd done that," Patterson said. Dr Rogers then accused Patterson of having "rushed out" of Monash Hospital, the day after she was released, to get rid of evidence. "No," Patterson said. "You lied to police about never owning a dehydrator because you had used the dehydrator to prepare death cap mushrooms to include in the lunch," Dr Rogers continued. "No, I didn't know that," Patterson replied. "You lied because you knew if you told police the truth it would implicate you in the deliberate poisoning of your four lunch guests," Dr Rogers said. Patterson responded: "No, no, it's not true." As the trial nears the end of week six, Justice Christopher Beale told the jury he could not put a figure on how much longer it would go for but they should make arrangements. He said Patterson may be in the witness box into early next week, and the trial would not sit on Monday, which is a public holiday in Victoria. After this, he said there would be some legal discussions without the jury, and then there could be "more evidence". Closing addresses from the prosecution and defence will follow, and could each take "a couple of days" before he gives directions to the jury, which could take another couple of days. "Then the boot is on the other foot because none of you can tell me how long you will be in deliberations. Take all the time you need," Justice Beale said. The trial continues. Erin Patterson says her lies to police after cooking a deadly meal for her estranged husband's family were a "stupid knee-jerk reaction" to finding out people had become sick. The accused triple murderer, 50, entered the witness box for a fourth day before a Supreme Court jury on Thursday. She has pleaded not guilty to the murder of her former in-laws Don and Gail Patterson, 70, and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, 66, and the attempted murder of Heather's husband Ian. All three died in hospital days after eating death cap mushroom-laced beef Wellingtons in July 2023, at her Leongatha home in regional Victoria. Defence barrister Colin Mandy SC finished his examination in chief of Patterson on Thursday morning by asking about her lies to police. Citing her police interview on August 5, 2023, he asked Patterson if she had lied to police about never having dehydrated food and denying ownership of a dehydrator. "Were those lies?" Mr Mandy asked. "Yes," Patterson replied. He then asked her why she lied to Victoria Police detectives about the dehydrator. "I had disposed of it a few days earlier in the context of thinking that maybe mushrooms that I'd foraged for the meal I prepared was responsible for making people sick," Patterson said. After police told her Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson had died, during a search of her home before the interview, she had a "stupid knee-jerk reaction to just dig deeper and keep lying". "I was just scared, but I shouldn't have done it," Patterson told the court. He asked Patterson if her answer to police that she had "never" foraged for mushrooms was also a lie. "Yes, they were both lies," she replied. Mr Mandy then asked if she intended to kill or cause serious injury to each of her lunch guests by serving them poisonous beef Wellingtons. "No, I didn't," she replied. When asked if she intended to harm them, she said no. Crown prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC began her cross-examination of Patterson before midday and went straight into her lies. She put to Patterson that she had disposed of a food dehydrator because she had been using it to dehydrate death cap mushrooms. "I didn't know that I'd done that," Patterson said. Dr Rogers then accused Patterson of having "rushed out" of Monash Hospital, the day after she was released, to get rid of evidence. "No," Patterson said. "You lied to police about never owning a dehydrator because you had used the dehydrator to prepare death cap mushrooms to include in the lunch," Dr Rogers continued. "No, I didn't know that," Patterson replied. "You lied because you knew if you told police the truth it would implicate you in the deliberate poisoning of your four lunch guests," Dr Rogers said. Patterson responded: "No, no, it's not true." As the trial nears the end of week six, Justice Christopher Beale told the jury he could not put a figure on how much longer it would go for but they should make arrangements. He said Patterson may be in the witness box into early next week, and the trial would not sit on Monday, which is a public holiday in Victoria. After this, he said there would be some legal discussions without the jury, and then there could be "more evidence". Closing addresses from the prosecution and defence will follow, and could each take "a couple of days" before he gives directions to the jury, which could take another couple of days. "Then the boot is on the other foot because none of you can tell me how long you will be in deliberations. Take all the time you need," Justice Beale said. The trial continues. Erin Patterson says her lies to police after cooking a deadly meal for her estranged husband's family were a "stupid knee-jerk reaction" to finding out people had become sick. The accused triple murderer, 50, entered the witness box for a fourth day before a Supreme Court jury on Thursday. She has pleaded not guilty to the murder of her former in-laws Don and Gail Patterson, 70, and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, 66, and the attempted murder of Heather's husband Ian. All three died in hospital days after eating death cap mushroom-laced beef Wellingtons in July 2023, at her Leongatha home in regional Victoria. Defence barrister Colin Mandy SC finished his examination in chief of Patterson on Thursday morning by asking about her lies to police. Citing her police interview on August 5, 2023, he asked Patterson if she had lied to police about never having dehydrated food and denying ownership of a dehydrator. "Were those lies?" Mr Mandy asked. "Yes," Patterson replied. He then asked her why she lied to Victoria Police detectives about the dehydrator. "I had disposed of it a few days earlier in the context of thinking that maybe mushrooms that I'd foraged for the meal I prepared was responsible for making people sick," Patterson said. After police told her Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson had died, during a search of her home before the interview, she had a "stupid knee-jerk reaction to just dig deeper and keep lying". "I was just scared, but I shouldn't have done it," Patterson told the court. He asked Patterson if her answer to police that she had "never" foraged for mushrooms was also a lie. "Yes, they were both lies," she replied. Mr Mandy then asked if she intended to kill or cause serious injury to each of her lunch guests by serving them poisonous beef Wellingtons. "No, I didn't," she replied. When asked if she intended to harm them, she said no. Crown prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC began her cross-examination of Patterson before midday and went straight into her lies. She put to Patterson that she had disposed of a food dehydrator because she had been using it to dehydrate death cap mushrooms. "I didn't know that I'd done that," Patterson said. Dr Rogers then accused Patterson of having "rushed out" of Monash Hospital, the day after she was released, to get rid of evidence. "No," Patterson said. "You lied to police about never owning a dehydrator because you had used the dehydrator to prepare death cap mushrooms to include in the lunch," Dr Rogers continued. "No, I didn't know that," Patterson replied. "You lied because you knew if you told police the truth it would implicate you in the deliberate poisoning of your four lunch guests," Dr Rogers said. Patterson responded: "No, no, it's not true." As the trial nears the end of week six, Justice Christopher Beale told the jury he could not put a figure on how much longer it would go for but they should make arrangements. He said Patterson may be in the witness box into early next week, and the trial would not sit on Monday, which is a public holiday in Victoria. After this, he said there would be some legal discussions without the jury, and then there could be "more evidence". Closing addresses from the prosecution and defence will follow, and could each take "a couple of days" before he gives directions to the jury, which could take another couple of days. "Then the boot is on the other foot because none of you can tell me how long you will be in deliberations. Take all the time you need," Justice Beale said. The trial continues. Erin Patterson says her lies to police after cooking a deadly meal for her estranged husband's family were a "stupid knee-jerk reaction" to finding out people had become sick. The accused triple murderer, 50, entered the witness box for a fourth day before a Supreme Court jury on Thursday. She has pleaded not guilty to the murder of her former in-laws Don and Gail Patterson, 70, and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, 66, and the attempted murder of Heather's husband Ian. All three died in hospital days after eating death cap mushroom-laced beef Wellingtons in July 2023, at her Leongatha home in regional Victoria. Defence barrister Colin Mandy SC finished his examination in chief of Patterson on Thursday morning by asking about her lies to police. Citing her police interview on August 5, 2023, he asked Patterson if she had lied to police about never having dehydrated food and denying ownership of a dehydrator. "Were those lies?" Mr Mandy asked. "Yes," Patterson replied. He then asked her why she lied to Victoria Police detectives about the dehydrator. "I had disposed of it a few days earlier in the context of thinking that maybe mushrooms that I'd foraged for the meal I prepared was responsible for making people sick," Patterson said. After police told her Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson had died, during a search of her home before the interview, she had a "stupid knee-jerk reaction to just dig deeper and keep lying". "I was just scared, but I shouldn't have done it," Patterson told the court. He asked Patterson if her answer to police that she had "never" foraged for mushrooms was also a lie. "Yes, they were both lies," she replied. Mr Mandy then asked if she intended to kill or cause serious injury to each of her lunch guests by serving them poisonous beef Wellingtons. "No, I didn't," she replied. When asked if she intended to harm them, she said no. Crown prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC began her cross-examination of Patterson before midday and went straight into her lies. She put to Patterson that she had disposed of a food dehydrator because she had been using it to dehydrate death cap mushrooms. "I didn't know that I'd done that," Patterson said. Dr Rogers then accused Patterson of having "rushed out" of Monash Hospital, the day after she was released, to get rid of evidence. "No," Patterson said. "You lied to police about never owning a dehydrator because you had used the dehydrator to prepare death cap mushrooms to include in the lunch," Dr Rogers continued. "No, I didn't know that," Patterson replied. "You lied because you knew if you told police the truth it would implicate you in the deliberate poisoning of your four lunch guests," Dr Rogers said. Patterson responded: "No, no, it's not true." As the trial nears the end of week six, Justice Christopher Beale told the jury he could not put a figure on how much longer it would go for but they should make arrangements. He said Patterson may be in the witness box into early next week, and the trial would not sit on Monday, which is a public holiday in Victoria. After this, he said there would be some legal discussions without the jury, and then there could be "more evidence". Closing addresses from the prosecution and defence will follow, and could each take "a couple of days" before he gives directions to the jury, which could take another couple of days. "Then the boot is on the other foot because none of you can tell me how long you will be in deliberations. Take all the time you need," Justice Beale said. The trial continues.
