Mushroom cook a multi-millionaire
The unassuming Victorian woman drew the world's attention after three of her husband's family died from a poisoned meal and a fourth fought his way back from death's door.
Details about Patterson's life were revealed by those who knew her best as the Supreme Court trial played out in the regional town of Morwell over the last four months.
She had pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder, with her defence arguing the poisoning was a tragic accident. Erin Patterson maintained she did not intentionally harm anyone. Brooke Grebert-Craig. Credit: Supplied
At trial, prosecutors argued Patterson intentionally sourced death cap mushrooms, the most poisonous known fungi, and included them in the beef wellington lunch intending to kill or at least seriously injure her four guests.
Don and Gail Patterson, her husband Simon Patterson's parents, and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson died in the week after the lunch on July 29, 2023.
Gail's husband Ian Wilkinson recovered after a lengthy stay in hospital.
On X, jurors returned to the Latrobe Valley law court and returned unanimous guilty verdicts on all four charges following X days of deliberations. Erin Patterson's parents in law Don and Gail Patterson. Supplied. Credit: Supplied
During the trial, jurors heard Patterson first met her husband in the early 2000s when they were both working at the Monash city council.
She was an administrative assistant engaged by animal welfare charity the RSPCA while Simon was a civil engineer at the council.
Giving evidence, Simon said they got to know each other as part of a 'fairly eclectic' group of friends from the council before developing a romantic relationship.
'Erin is very intelligent. I guess some of the things that attracted me to her in the first place was definitely her intelligence. She is quite witty and can be quite funny,' he said. She remains married to Simon Patterson. NewsWire / David Geraghty Credit: News Corp Australia
The jury heard Patterson had worked as an accountant and as an air traffic controller at Melbourne's Tullamarine airport prior to meeting Simon.
Patterson told the court she met Simon in 2004 and they began dating in July the following year.
She said she first met his parents, Don and Gail Patterson, in about March or April 2005 while on a camping trip with Simon and a few friends and they stopped in at his parents.
Patterson described herself as a 'fundamentalist atheist' and initially sought to convert Simon, a devout Christian, but ' things happened in reverse and I became a Christian'.
She pointed to a 'spiritual experience' while on that camping trip when they attended a service at Korumburra Baptist Church where Simon's uncle, Ian Wilkinson, was pastor.
I'd been approaching religion as an intellectual exercise up until that point,' Patterson said.
'But I had what I would call a religious experience there and it quite overwhelmed me.' Ian Wilkinson survived the lunch. NewsWire / Diego Fedele Credit: News Corp Australia The Korumburra Baptist Church where Mr Wilkinson has been pastor for two decades. NewsWire / Josie Hayden Credit: News Corp Australia
Simon told the court a month after their wedding on June 2, 2007, the pair set off on a cross-country trip.
'We planned, before we married, to pack up everything, get a four-wheel drive and drive across Australia and camp in tents, which we did,' he said.
Their wedding was held under a marquee at Don and Gail's Korumburra home, with Simon's cousin, David Wilkinson, walking her down the aisle.
Patterson told the jury her parents did not attend as they were on a holiday crossing Russia by train.
By late 2007, Simon said, they settled down in Perth where he found work at a local council.
The jury heard their first child, a son, was born in January 2009, with Patterson describing the birth as 'very traumatic'.
On the stand, she said she developed a mistrust of doctors and questioned if they knew what they were doing. The couple also took a number of international holidays, including to New Zealand and Africa. Supplied. Credit: Supplied
Patterson said Don and Gail came to stay with them after the birth, saying Gail was 'really supportive, and gentle and patient with me'.
'I remember being really relieved that Gail was there because I felt really out of my depth,' she said.
A few months later the family packed up again heading north and covering the top end of Australia.
After months of travel, Patterson said she'd had a 'gutful' and elected to fly back to Perth from Townsville leaving Simon and their son to drive back.
'It had been a good holiday but I'd had enough. I wanted to sleep in a real bed,' she said.
The jury heard this led to the couple's first separation, in late 2009, for 'about six months' with Patterson and their son living in a rental while Simon lived nearby in a caravan.
'What I understood from Erin was that she was struggling inside herself,' Simon said.
The couple underwent marriage counselling and the family reunited after Simon moved to the wheatbelt town of York for work as a council civil engineer.
For a time, the couple also lived in Quinninup, in Western Australia's southwest, and Patterson started a second hand book shop in Pemberton which she operated in 2011 and 2012.
Giving evidence, Simon said there were a few other periods of short separation while the pair lived in Western Australia before they returned to Victoria in 2013.
Patterson's second child, a girl, was born in 2014, and the couple purchased a home in Korumburra to be close to Simon's family the same year.
Simon's sister, Anna Terrington, said she developed a strong bond with Patterson because they were both pregnant at the same time.
She gave evidence their children, born three days apart, were known in the family as 'the twins'. Anna and Josh Terrington, with sibling Matthew Patterson (right). NewsWire/Ian Currie Credit: News Corp Australia
Many of Simon's family members called in the trial described Patterson as a devoted mother to her two children.
The couple separated for a final time in late 2015, the jury heard.
Asked about the separation, Patterson said she believed the key issue in their relationship was communication but that Simon and her remained close and co-operative in the following years.
'Primarily what we struggled with over the entire course of our relationship … we just couldn't communicate well when we disagreed about something,' she said.
'We could never communicate in a way that made each of us feel heard or understood, so we would just feel hurt and not know how to resolve it.'
Patterson told the court after their separation, she remained close to Simon's parents and continued to attend family events.
'It never changed. I was just their daughter-in-law and they just continued to love me,' she said. A court sketch of Erin Patterson during the trial. NewsWire / Paul Tyquin Credit: News Corp Australia
The jury heard Patterson received a large inheritance after her grandmother's death in 2006, with disbursements paid out twice annually until 2015.
Simon agreed Patterson was 'very generous' with the money, with the couple lending hundreds of thousands of dollars to each of his three siblings and their partners interest free.
'We wouldn't have been able to do it without those inheritances,' he said.
'Money has not been the most important motivation to either Erin or me in our decisions.'
He said he believed it totalled roughly $2 million.
Patterson also received another large inheritance in 2019 after her mother's death split her estate between her two daughters.
The jury heard Patterson used part of this money to buy a block of land at Gibson St, Leongatha, where she built her family home and the location of the deadly lunch.
Living on the 3 acre block in the small dairy town, Patterson said she kept animals including sheep and goats. Erin Patterson's home in Leongatha. NewsWire / Diego Fedele. Credit: News Corp Australia
Despite their separation four years earlier, Patterson titled both the Gibson St property and a home in the Melbourne suburb of Glen Waverley as shared ownership with her husband.
Simon told the court he viewed this at the time as a sign Patterson remained committed to the family unit and was hopeful they would reconcile.
He said he believed Patterson had struggled with her self-image for many years although she never explicitly said this to him.
On the stand, Patterson said she had body-image issues since childhood and struggled with her weight.
'I tried every diet under the sun,' she said.
'When I was a kid, mum would weigh us every week to make sure we weren't putting on too much weight.'
Patterson told the court she had engaged in binge eating and purging since her 20s but no one knew.
The jury heard from three witnesses who came to know Patterson in 2020 through an online true crime Facebook group that splintered off into a social chat during the Covid pandemic and continued into 2023.
Non-profit manager Christine Hunt said Patterson had made a name for herself in the group as a 'super-sleuth', able to dig up details about true crime cases they discussed.
Stay at home mum Daniela Barkley said she believed Patterson to be a wonderful mother, but recalled she vented about problems with Simon and his family. Daniela Barkley said she formed the view Simon was not a nice man from Patterson's posts. NewsWire / Diego Fedele Credit: News Corp Australia
A series of messages Patterson sent to the group between December 6 and 9 in 2022, captured her complaining about her husband and his family.
'I'm sick of this s--t I want nothing to do with them. I thought his parents would want him to do the right thing but it seems their concern about not wanting to feel uncomfortable and not wanting to get involved in their son's personal matters are overriding that so f--k em,' one message read.
Patterson told the jury she regrets the messages, but her defence noted they needed to be viewed in the proper context of a woman venting to her support network.
Giving evidence, Simon told the jury they remained friendly and committed to co-parenting their two children but he first noticed a change in their relationship in late 2022.
He said he believed this was after Patterson noticed he'd been listed as separated for the first time in his tax return and he understood the change to have financial implications. Simon Patterson was the first witness called in the trial. NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui Credit: News Corp Australia
Patterson disagreed, saying while there was a change in the relationship, it occurred weeks later after Simon began to refuse to contribute to their children's schooling and medical costs.
'I wasn't upset, because him listing himself as single on his tax return meant I now have the opportunity to claim family tax benefit that I had been denied before,' she said.
Simon said after the tax return, Patterson had filed a child support claim and he'd been instructed by authorities not to pay for things until a financial agreement was reached.
Both agreed tensions had cooled down by the end of 2022 but their relationship became 'functional' after this point.
She will return to court at a later date.
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She said that while the family had been close, she had started to feel a growing distance after her split with Simon in 2015. The couple had moved from Perth to Gippsland to be closer to his family after embarking on a number of months-long road trips across the country. But Patterson was becoming "concerned" that her estranged husband didn't want her involved in the family. "I had felt for some months that my relationship with the wider Patterson family, particularly Don and Gail, had a bit more distance or space put between us, we saw each other less," she said. The tension came to a head when Patterson was excluded from Gail's 70th birthday. By late 2022, interactions between Patterson and her estranged husband had "increased the heat", she said. Patterson said anger and resentment in the relationship grew after the pair failed to find a resolution over child support payments, including school and medical fees. Don and Gail were acting as mediators, encouraging the couple to pray together. "They thought that Simon and I should settle the issue together, but they didn't want to become official mediators," she said. Evidence extracted from Patterson's Facebook messages showed her growing frustration, the court heard. "This family, I swear to f--king god," she messaged Facebook friends at the time. The prosecution did not allege a motive for Patterson to murder three people and attempt to murder another. READ MORE: 'This family, swear to f--king god': what we learned from Erin Patterson Before her arrest, Patterson had made plans for the future, including making an appointment to discuss weight loss methods at a Melbourne clinic in 2023. She had also been accepted into a Bachelor of Nursing and Midwifery at Federation University to begin in 2024. The convicted killer has been remanded in jail since her arrest in November 2023. She awaits sentencing. - with AAP After almost three months of hearing evidence in a regional courtroom, a jury has found that death cap mushroom killer Erin Patterson poisoned her in-laws. The triple-murder trial entered its eleventh week on July 7 as the jury returned its verdict to the Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court after hearing from more than 50 witnesses. The 50-year-old was found guilty of murdering Don and Gail Patterson, as well as Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, when she fed the group a fatal dose of death cap mushroom in a beef Wellington lunch in 2023. Ian Wilkinson, Heather's husband, survived the meal after a successful liver transplant. Wearing a paisley blouse, Erin Patterson blinked but appeared expressionless as a jury foreperson uttered the words "guilty" four times over the murders and attempted murder of her estranged husband Simon's family. Outside court, her friend, Ali Rose Prior, told the waiting large national and international media throng she was "saddened" by the verdicts, but "it is what it is". "I didn't have any expectations, it's the justice system and it has to be what it is," she told reporters outside the Latrobe Valley courts, in Morwell. Ms Prior, who attended the entire trial, confirmed Patterson had told her "see you soon", and that she would visit her friend in prison. In a statement, Victoria Police said they acknowledged the jury's decision. "Our thoughts are with the respective families at this time, and we acknowledge how difficult these past two years have been for them. "We will continue to support them in every way possible following this decision," the statement read. They also acknowledged the work of Homicide Squad detectives during the "complex investigation" and the support of other areas across their organisation. A spokesperson for the Patterson family had no comment as they left the court. Simon Patterson, the killer's estranged husband, declined her invitation for lunch, saying their relationship was too tense for him to comfortably attend. The prosecution argued that Patterson had planned and carried out a plot to kill her husband's family. Crown Prosecutor Nanette Rogers said that Patterson had "secreted" a lethal dose of death cap mushroom poison into the home-cooked beef Wellingtons. She also argued that Patterson told her lunch guests that she had cancer, but that the diagnosis was fabricated. Dr Rogers told the court that Patterson had attempted to "conceal the truth" with a sustained cover-up after the deaths. The jury also heard that Patterson pretended to fall sick after the July 29 lunch. She claimed that foraged death cap mushrooms were in the meal by mistake and maintained her innocence throughout the proceedings. READ MORE: 'No, that's not true': accused mushroom killer denies deliberate poisoning Over the course of the trial, the jury heard of a close family relationship between Patterson and her in-laws before the fateful lunch. Patterson first met her estranged husband's family 20 years ago, in 2005, when the pair started dating after meeting through friends at Melbourne's Monash City Council. The Pattersons had provided emotional and logistical support to the young couple, the court heard. While being questioned by her defence lawyer, Colin Mandy, Patterson remembered her relief when Gail and Don came to stay after the couple had their first baby in Perth. "She taught about settling after a feed and interpreting cries," Patterson said Patterson also credited pastor Ian Wilkinson with her first spiritual experience at the Korumburra Baptist Church, leading her to convert to Christianity. She said that while the family had been close, she had started to feel a growing distance after her split with Simon in 2015. The couple had moved from Perth to Gippsland to be closer to his family after embarking on a number of months-long road trips across the country. But Patterson was becoming "concerned" that her estranged husband didn't want her involved in the family. "I had felt for some months that my relationship with the wider Patterson family, particularly Don and Gail, had a bit more distance or space put between us, we saw each other less," she said. The tension came to a head when Patterson was excluded from Gail's 70th birthday. By late 2022, interactions between Patterson and her estranged husband had "increased the heat", she said. Patterson said anger and resentment in the relationship grew after the pair failed to find a resolution over child support payments, including school and medical fees. Don and Gail were acting as mediators, encouraging the couple to pray together. "They thought that Simon and I should settle the issue together, but they didn't want to become official mediators," she said. Evidence extracted from Patterson's Facebook messages showed her growing frustration, the court heard. "This family, I swear to f--king god," she messaged Facebook friends at the time. The prosecution did not allege a motive for Patterson to murder three people and attempt to murder another. READ MORE: 'This family, swear to f--king god': what we learned from Erin Patterson Before her arrest, Patterson had made plans for the future, including making an appointment to discuss weight loss methods at a Melbourne clinic in 2023. She had also been accepted into a Bachelor of Nursing and Midwifery at Federation University to begin in 2024. The convicted killer has been remanded in jail since her arrest in November 2023. She awaits sentencing. - with AAP After almost three months of hearing evidence in a regional courtroom, a jury has found that death cap mushroom killer Erin Patterson poisoned her in-laws. The triple-murder trial entered its eleventh week on July 7 as the jury returned its verdict to the Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court after hearing from more than 50 witnesses. The 50-year-old was found guilty of murdering Don and Gail Patterson, as well as Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, when she fed the group a fatal dose of death cap mushroom in a beef Wellington lunch in 2023. Ian Wilkinson, Heather's husband, survived the meal after a successful liver transplant. Wearing a paisley blouse, Erin Patterson blinked but appeared expressionless as a jury foreperson uttered the words "guilty" four times over the murders and attempted murder of her estranged husband Simon's family. Outside court, her friend, Ali Rose Prior, told the waiting large national and international media throng she was "saddened" by the verdicts, but "it is what it is". "I didn't have any expectations, it's the justice system and it has to be what it is," she told reporters outside the Latrobe Valley courts, in Morwell. Ms Prior, who attended the entire trial, confirmed Patterson had told her "see you soon", and that she would visit her friend in prison. In a statement, Victoria Police said they acknowledged the jury's decision. "Our thoughts are with the respective families at this time, and we acknowledge how difficult these past two years have been for them. "We will continue to support them in every way possible following this decision," the statement read. They also acknowledged the work of Homicide Squad detectives during the "complex investigation" and the support of other areas across their organisation. A spokesperson for the Patterson family had no comment as they left the court. Simon Patterson, the killer's estranged husband, declined her invitation for lunch, saying their relationship was too tense for him to comfortably attend. The prosecution argued that Patterson had planned and carried out a plot to kill her husband's family. Crown Prosecutor Nanette Rogers said that Patterson had "secreted" a lethal dose of death cap mushroom poison into the home-cooked beef Wellingtons. She also argued that Patterson told her lunch guests that she had cancer, but that the diagnosis was fabricated. Dr Rogers told the court that Patterson had attempted to "conceal the truth" with a sustained cover-up after the deaths. The jury also heard that Patterson pretended to fall sick after the July 29 lunch. She claimed that foraged death cap mushrooms were in the meal by mistake and maintained her innocence throughout the proceedings. READ MORE: 'No, that's not true': accused mushroom killer denies deliberate poisoning Over the course of the trial, the jury heard of a close family relationship between Patterson and her in-laws before the fateful lunch. Patterson first met her estranged husband's family 20 years ago, in 2005, when the pair started dating after meeting through friends at Melbourne's Monash City Council. The Pattersons had provided emotional and logistical support to the young couple, the court heard. While being questioned by her defence lawyer, Colin Mandy, Patterson remembered her relief when Gail and Don came to stay after the couple had their first baby in Perth. "She taught about settling after a feed and interpreting cries," Patterson said Patterson also credited pastor Ian Wilkinson with her first spiritual experience at the Korumburra Baptist Church, leading her to convert to Christianity. She said that while the family had been close, she had started to feel a growing distance after her split with Simon in 2015. The couple had moved from Perth to Gippsland to be closer to his family after embarking on a number of months-long road trips across the country. But Patterson was becoming "concerned" that her estranged husband didn't want her involved in the family. "I had felt for some months that my relationship with the wider Patterson family, particularly Don and Gail, had a bit more distance or space put between us, we saw each other less," she said. The tension came to a head when Patterson was excluded from Gail's 70th birthday. By late 2022, interactions between Patterson and her estranged husband had "increased the heat", she said. Patterson said anger and resentment in the relationship grew after the pair failed to find a resolution over child support payments, including school and medical fees. Don and Gail were acting as mediators, encouraging the couple to pray together. "They thought that Simon and I should settle the issue together, but they didn't want to become official mediators," she said. Evidence extracted from Patterson's Facebook messages showed her growing frustration, the court heard. "This family, I swear to f--king god," she messaged Facebook friends at the time. The prosecution did not allege a motive for Patterson to murder three people and attempt to murder another. READ MORE: 'This family, swear to f--king god': what we learned from Erin Patterson Before her arrest, Patterson had made plans for the future, including making an appointment to discuss weight loss methods at a Melbourne clinic in 2023. She had also been accepted into a Bachelor of Nursing and Midwifery at Federation University to begin in 2024. The convicted killer has been remanded in jail since her arrest in November 2023. She awaits sentencing. - with AAP After almost three months of hearing evidence in a regional courtroom, a jury has found that death cap mushroom killer Erin Patterson poisoned her in-laws. The triple-murder trial entered its eleventh week on July 7 as the jury returned its verdict to the Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court after hearing from more than 50 witnesses. The 50-year-old was found guilty of murdering Don and Gail Patterson, as well as Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, when she fed the group a fatal dose of death cap mushroom in a beef Wellington lunch in 2023. Ian Wilkinson, Heather's husband, survived the meal after a successful liver transplant. Wearing a paisley blouse, Erin Patterson blinked but appeared expressionless as a jury foreperson uttered the words "guilty" four times over the murders and attempted murder of her estranged husband Simon's family. Outside court, her friend, Ali Rose Prior, told the waiting large national and international media throng she was "saddened" by the verdicts, but "it is what it is". "I didn't have any expectations, it's the justice system and it has to be what it is," she told reporters outside the Latrobe Valley courts, in Morwell. Ms Prior, who attended the entire trial, confirmed Patterson had told her "see you soon", and that she would visit her friend in prison. In a statement, Victoria Police said they acknowledged the jury's decision. "Our thoughts are with the respective families at this time, and we acknowledge how difficult these past two years have been for them. "We will continue to support them in every way possible following this decision," the statement read. They also acknowledged the work of Homicide Squad detectives during the "complex investigation" and the support of other areas across their organisation. A spokesperson for the Patterson family had no comment as they left the court. Simon Patterson, the killer's estranged husband, declined her invitation for lunch, saying their relationship was too tense for him to comfortably attend. The prosecution argued that Patterson had planned and carried out a plot to kill her husband's family. Crown Prosecutor Nanette Rogers said that Patterson had "secreted" a lethal dose of death cap mushroom poison into the home-cooked beef Wellingtons. She also argued that Patterson told her lunch guests that she had cancer, but that the diagnosis was fabricated. Dr Rogers told the court that Patterson had attempted to "conceal the truth" with a sustained cover-up after the deaths. The jury also heard that Patterson pretended to fall sick after the July 29 lunch. She claimed that foraged death cap mushrooms were in the meal by mistake and maintained her innocence throughout the proceedings. READ MORE: 'No, that's not true': accused mushroom killer denies deliberate poisoning Over the course of the trial, the jury heard of a close family relationship between Patterson and her in-laws before the fateful lunch. Patterson first met her estranged husband's family 20 years ago, in 2005, when the pair started dating after meeting through friends at Melbourne's Monash City Council. The Pattersons had provided emotional and logistical support to the young couple, the court heard. While being questioned by her defence lawyer, Colin Mandy, Patterson remembered her relief when Gail and Don came to stay after the couple had their first baby in Perth. "She taught about settling after a feed and interpreting cries," Patterson said Patterson also credited pastor Ian Wilkinson with her first spiritual experience at the Korumburra Baptist Church, leading her to convert to Christianity. She said that while the family had been close, she had started to feel a growing distance after her split with Simon in 2015. The couple had moved from Perth to Gippsland to be closer to his family after embarking on a number of months-long road trips across the country. But Patterson was becoming "concerned" that her estranged husband didn't want her involved in the family. "I had felt for some months that my relationship with the wider Patterson family, particularly Don and Gail, had a bit more distance or space put between us, we saw each other less," she said. The tension came to a head when Patterson was excluded from Gail's 70th birthday. By late 2022, interactions between Patterson and her estranged husband had "increased the heat", she said. Patterson said anger and resentment in the relationship grew after the pair failed to find a resolution over child support payments, including school and medical fees. Don and Gail were acting as mediators, encouraging the couple to pray together. "They thought that Simon and I should settle the issue together, but they didn't want to become official mediators," she said. Evidence extracted from Patterson's Facebook messages showed her growing frustration, the court heard. "This family, I swear to f--king god," she messaged Facebook friends at the time. The prosecution did not allege a motive for Patterson to murder three people and attempt to murder another. READ MORE: 'This family, swear to f--king god': what we learned from Erin Patterson Before her arrest, Patterson had made plans for the future, including making an appointment to discuss weight loss methods at a Melbourne clinic in 2023. She had also been accepted into a Bachelor of Nursing and Midwifery at Federation University to begin in 2024. The convicted killer has been remanded in jail since her arrest in November 2023. She awaits sentencing. - with AAP
Perth Now
5 hours ago
- Perth Now
Tradie allegedly stole $80k in deposits
A tradesman has been accused of stealing almost $80,000 from customers after he allegedly took large deposits then failed to show up to do the work. Western Australia's consumer watchdog, Consumer Protection, said they were investigating Allan Jason Dean Howard, 30, after they received multiple complaints over the past two years about the Perth tradesman who operated under the name JD Howard and Allan's Plastering. Consumer Protection alleges Mr Howard took deposits from victims ranging from $1456 to $21,000 then failed to complete any work. Authorities allege Mr Howard responded to ads on trade-seeking platforms and social media looking for a tradesman to complete plastering jobs, rendering, roof plumbing and garage renovations. Multiple people across Perth have allegedly lost tens of thousands of dollars in deposits after they were targeted by a tradesman responding to ads on social media. NewsWire / Sharon Smith Credit: NCA NewsWire Consumer Protection allege the tradesman requested deposits as high as 50 per cent, despite the maximum deposit allowed for home building works to be no more than 6.5 per cent of the price. Consumer Protection commissioner Trish Blake said in light of the recent influx of complaints, they allege Mr Howard's business practices posed an ongoing danger to consumers who may engage his services. 'To prevent further financial loss, we strongly advise consumers to avoid dealing with Mr Howard and consider seeking alternative service providers,' she said. Mr Howard from Byford in Perth's southeast appeared in the Armadale Magistrates Court on Monday to face nine separate charges of stealing and fraud. Mr Howard is also the subject of a police investigation after several people came forward with allegations they had been targeted by a tradesman on social media. Perth tradesman Allan Jason Dean Howard is being investigated by Consumer Protection and WA Police after he took large deposits from people for work then never showed up. Credit: Supplied Financial Crime Squad detectives allege a small number of unscrupulous operators responded to ads and quoted on the job securing thousands of dollars in deposits then never carried out the work. Detective Senior Constable Goodgame warned people to check credentials such as ABNs, insurance, identification and have a formal contract drawn up and signed. 'We are urging Western Australians to remember to conduct reference checks on tradies who answer your advertisements and never be pressured into handing over substantial deposits,' 'And remember, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.'
