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The Guardian
23-05-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
A life saved and what Erin Patterson allegedly confided to friends: week four of the mushroom lunch trial
Ian Wilkinson sat in the Victorian supreme court, only metres from the woman accused of trying to murder him, as one of the men who helped save his life gave evidence. Prof Stephen Warrillow, the director of intensive care at Austin Health, had already spoken about the deaths of three people from death cap mushroom poisoning, and the particular characteristics of their illnesses; 'rapidly progressive deterioration', the organ failure, it being 'non-survivable'. Warrillow treated all the guests at the Austin hospital when they were admitted in the days immediately after the lunch Asked on Friday by Sarah Lenthall, for the prosecution, 'how close did Ian Wilkinson come to dying', Warrillow responded: 'We thought he was going to die. He was very close.' Wilkinson, and the three people who died, were all lunch guests of Erin Patterson at her home in regional Australia on 29 July, 2023. They were fed beef wellingtons made with death cap mushrooms. The prosecution says Patterson intended to kill or cause serious harm to her guests, but the defence say it was a terrible accident. Patterson, 50, faces three charges of murder and one charge of attempted murder relating to the lunch she served at her house in Leongatha. Patterson has pleaded not guilty to murdering or attempting to murder the relatives of her estranged husband Simon Patterson. She is accused of murdering his parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and his aunt Heather Wilkinson, and attempting to murder Ian Wilkinson, Simon's uncle and Heather's husband. In his evidence, Warrillow went on to say death cap mushroom poisoning caused 'a relentlessly progressive and quite frighteningly rapid deterioration into multiple-organ failure, where the body's different organ systems essentially shut down and the patient is extremely unwell and at a very high risk of dying'. Wilkinson had a plasma exchange, and other treatments including specific medications for mushroom poisoning, vitamin C, and multi-dose activated charcoal, which Warrillow said was designed to prevent the body from continuing to internally recycle the amanita, or death cap, poison. 'The treatments are - well, clearly not 100 per cent effective,' Warrillow said. 'In fact, there's a very high mortality - there's a high mortality recognised even with what would be considered optimal care.' Through it all, Wilkinson appeared to barely respond, sitting with his arms crossed, as impassive as he had appeared during the trial. He has sat in court most days since he concluded his evidence, taking a seat with other members of the Patterson and Wilkinson family. The seats reserved for family are no more than five metres from Patterson, who sits behind them and to their left in the dock in court four of the Latrobe Valley Law Courts. Warrillow, appearing via videolink, was about the 45th witness called in the case, which is set to continue into a fifth week. The court also heard evidence this week from Shamen Fox-Henry, a senior digital forensics officer with Victoria police. He outlined the data extractions performed on devices seized from Patterson's home shortly after the lunch, with his evidence starting with a slideshow that included the question 'what is a computer'. The devices seized by police, the court heard, contained messages sent to a Facebook group chat by an account named Erin Erin Erin, which police allege was used by Patterson. There were more than five members of the chat. The chat messages, littered with emojis, occurred in early December 2022, at a similar time to other messages previously read to the court between Patterson, Simon, and Don and Gail amid a dispute about child support. Simon previously told the court that on 6 December 2022 he was aware Patterson had messaged his parents to ask for advice about two 'main issues': how their son 'was going' and 'finances for our kids'. At 10.19am on 6 December 2022, the account Erin Erin Erin, wrote to her friends on the group chat: 'Simon's dad contacted me this morning to say that he and Gail had tried to talk to Simon about the matters I raised and to get 'his side' but he refused to talk about it other than to signal he disagreed with what I said. Beyond that he won't talk about it. 'So don said they can't adjudicate if they don't know both sides and Simon won't give his side'. So he said all that he can ask is that Simon and I get together to pray for the children …this family I swear to fucking god.' Eight minutes later, the account messaged to the group: 'I said to him about fifty times yesterday that I didn't want them to adjudicate…nobody bloody listens to me. At least I know they're a lost cause.' The final message read to the court from 6 December 2022 was sent at 10.44am and read in part: 'Don rang me last night to say that he thought there was a solution to all this if Simon and I get together and try to talk and pray together… 'I'm sick of this shit 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 sons personal matters are overriding that so fuck em.' The following day, the Erin Erin Erin account messaged the group at 11.20am saying: 'His parents sent me a message yesterday afternoon and Simon sent me one last night but I've read neither and I don't think I will. I don't want to hear it. Simon's will just be horrible and be gaslighting and abusive and it will ruin my day and his parents will be more weasel words about not getting involved so I think I'm going to just move on.' An exchange between Patterson and another member of the group about church was read to court, before the Erin Erin Erin account wrote another message on 9 December 2022 that read: 'His mum was horrified I had claimed child support. Why isn't she horrified her son is such a deadbeat that I had no choice but to claim?' The court has previously heard Patterson said she loved Don and Gail like they were her own parents. The prosecutor, Nanette Rogers SC, made clear in opening the case that the jury 'might be wondering, now, why would the accused do this? What is the motive? 'You might still be wondering this at the end of this trial…motive is not something that has to be proven by the prosecution. You do not have to be satisfied what the motive was or even that there was one. 'The prosecution will not be suggesting that there was a particular motive to do what she did. What you will have to…focus your attention on, is whether you are satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the accused committed the charges…not why she may have done so.' But Patterson's lawyer, Colin Mandy SC, told the jury in his opening address that they should consider if she had a motive to kill. 'As you listen to the evidence, you should consider, when it comes to that fundamental issue of Erin's intention, did she have a motive to kill these four family members? 'What was her relationship with them, especially Don and Gail Patterson? What relationship did her children have with them? 'So that issue, the issue of intention, is the critical issue in this trial.' The trial before Justice Christopher Beale continues.
ABC News
22-05-2025
- Health
- ABC News
New Alzheimer's drug approved in Australia
Andy Park: A new drug promising to treat the early stages of Alzheimer's disease has been approved for use in Australia, the first of its kind in nearly 25 years. Donanemab , sold under the brand name Kisunla, is a medication which can potentially slow the progress of the disease and maintains a patient's independence. However, there have been some concerns about the drug's effectiveness overseas and its high cost, as Kimberley Price reports. Kimberley Price: It starts with forgotten names and missed appointments, but eventually takes away your ability to carry out even simple tasks. More than 400,000 Australians live with dementia, with Alzheimer's disease the most common type. For two decades, there has been little progress in treating it. But today, a new drug has arrived which may change that. Michael Woodward: This is a significant breakthrough. It's the first time we have a disease-modifying drug for Alzheimer's disease. Kimberley Price: That's Associate Professor Michael Woodward, head of dementia research at the Memory Clinic at Austin Health in Melbourne. The drug he's talking about is Denanimab, a medicine which clears away amyloid plaques, the molecules which are believed to cause the symptoms of Alzheimer's. Michael Woodward: So it means that people will deteriorate more slowly because the amyloid sets off a process that causes the symptoms of forgetfulness and loss of our ability to look after ourselves. So if we use this drug, particularly in the earlier stages of Alzheimer's disease, we can't completely cure the disease, but we can slow it down substantially. Kimberley Price: Donanemab has some major limitations. It can cause swelling or bleeding in the brain, which can be life-threatening. And those taking the drug require regular MRI scans to monitor for side effects. It's also only approved for use in patients in the early stages of Alzheimer's who are dealing with initial memory loss and mood changes. Michael Woodward: It's not approved for moderate or severe dementia due to Alzheimer's disease because unfortunately by then the amyloid has done too much damage. We need to remove the amyloid and stop the other cascade of Alzheimer's pathology at an early stage if possible and that's where this drug has been approved. Kimberley Price: Sydney-based geriatrician Professor Peter Gonski believes Donanemab needs to be used as part of a larger treatment plan. Peter Gonski: We do have to see the patient as a person and we need to treat them looking at a whole lot of different strategies in trying to improve their lives and continue their good quality life as long as possible. And I think that this is a very important addition to our treatment plan. Kimberley Price: And while the drug has limitations, Professor Gonski says it's an important new tool. Peter Gonski: We have not really had medication development for 25 to 30 years and although we have had some medications that have slowed down the progression of the condition, sometimes even improved people in the early stages, they really haven't changed the actual underlying pathology that occurs in Alzheimer's disease. They've basically changed the chemicals in the brain. Kimberley Price: While Donanemab has been approved by the TGA for use in Australia, it's currently not covered by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. While no price has been listed, in the US the drug costs the equivalent of $47,000 Australian dollars per year. Andy Park: That report by Kimberley Price and Luke Radford.
9 News
22-05-2025
- Health
- 9 News
Australia approves breakthrough new treatment to slow early Alzheimer's
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here A first-of-its-kind treatment to slow the symptoms of early Alzheimer's disease has been approved for use in Australia. The Therapeutic Goods Administration has registered pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly's drug Kisunla (donanemab) for use by those with early symptomatic Alzheimer's who also have a presence of amyloid plaque, or protein clumps in the brain. A build-up of plaque causes issues associated with the neurodegenerative disease, like memory loss and impaired thinking. A first-of-its-kind treatment to slow the symptoms of early Alzheimer's disease has been approved for use in Australia. (Supplied) The drug is administered through a monthly infusion over a maximum of 18 months and works to clear plaque from the brain. Kisunla is the first new treatment for early Alzheimer's in 25 years and the first treatment registered in Australia that works to address the underlying cause of the disease, according to Eli Lilly. An estimated 600,000 Australians currently live with Alzheimer's with about 450,000 of those able to be tested to assess their eligibility. This has been hailed as a breakthrough by the researcher who led the clinical trials in Australia. "As clinicians, we've been waiting a very long time to be able to offer patients a treatment of this nature," Austin Health's Head of Dementia Research Professor Michael Woodward said. An application to include the drug on the PBS will be reviewed in July. (Supplied) "There is an important window of opportunity when it is possible to detect, diagnose and treat Alzheimer's disease with the goal that patients can maintain their independence for longer. "The availability of donanemab is a major development at a time when more and more Australians and their families are being impacted by this insidious disease." The drug is not listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), meaning that it would cost patients $4700 per session or $84,600 over the recommended 18 months. An application to include the drug on the PBS will be reviewed in July. Donanemab is approved in the United States, Japan, China, the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Singapore, Taiwan, Brazil, Mexico and Australia. health national Australia drugs Alzheimers Disease CONTACT US Auto news: Can you use your phone in the car if it is mounted?
