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The Australian
16 hours ago
- Health
- The Australian
The Bristol Stool Chart came up in the context of Ms Patterson's bowel movements after the beef Wellington.
You can now listen to The Australian's articles. Give us your feedback. You can now listen to The Australian's articles. Erin Patterson's umpteenth day in the witness stand peaked in the first few minutes after the King's Birthday long weekend euphoria melted. Nanette Rogers, prosecuting, took the accused back to Friday's evidence, asking about an appointment at the Enrich Clinic in Melbourne that Ms Patterson said she had booked to consider weight loss surgery. This was after her previous evidence about long-term body image issues and what she told the jury was her motivation for holding the beef Wellington lunch, rather than ovarian cancer. Dr Rogers asked Ms Patterson whether the clinic specialised in cosmetic dermatology rather than weight loss surgery. Asked if she agreed or disagreed that the clinic did not offer gastric bypass or gastric sleeve surgery, Ms Patterson responded: 'I don't know, I am a bit puzzled.'' She was then asked if she had lied to the jury. 'That wasn't a lie, that's what my memory was,'' she said. Much of this court case has been about whether – and when – Ms Patterson lied to police and others. After the cosmetic surgery questions, it was back to the grind. Ms Patterson first entered the witness box last Monday and despite a couple of short stints has featured for what has seemed like a really, really long time, facing Dr Rogers, who has been grinding away at her evidence. By the time it's all over, the prosecution and the defence will have trawled through every possible development linked to the meal that killed three people, including a reference to the Bristol Stool Chart. This chart came up in the context of Ms Patterson's bowel movements after the beef Wellington. If you need to know what the chart is, please Google it because this is a family newspaper. The King's Birthday fell on Monday in most states and territories and it gave the Morwell court fraternity an extra day's rest ahead of the beginning of the trial's seventh week. Despite the three-day break, it felt like the court had never stopped, and it felt also as if a lot of the questions and issues had already been run out. The length of the mushrooms legal arm wrestle means that pretty much everyone involved is either tired or blessed with elite stamina. At times, Ms Patterson and Dr Rogers clashed, the accused's eyes reportedly rolling at one point at another Rogers-asked 'Are you making this up as you go along, Ms Patterson?' 'No,'' she responded sharply. This was after discussing a conversation with Simon Patterson, her estranged husband, and whether she was well enough to pick up her two children soon after the meal was served and four of the guests fell sick. At times on Monday, Ms Patterson appeared to contradict the evidence of other witnesses, including her son, her former husband and medical staff. She disagreed with evidence from her eldest child, denying she was drinking coffee on the Sunday morning and rejecting his version of events over who was sick. Ms Patterson said it was her son who had claimed to have a stomach upset. 'I suggest that's a lie,'' Dr Rogers said. Ms Patterson responded: 'It's not.'' In relation to Simon's claims she was worried she would defecate if she drove after the meal, Ms Patterson also rejected this evidence. 'I did not tell him I was afraid I'd poo my pants, no,'' Ms Patterson said. Ms Patterson has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The Guardian
a day ago
- The Guardian
Erin Patterson denies lying about making herself vomit after fatal mushroom lunch
Erin Patterson says she is 'puzzled' that a clinic in which she said she had an appointment for a gastric bypass offers no such surgery, and denies lying about making herself vomit in the hours immediately after the beef wellington lunch, a court has heard. In her sixth day in the witness box, Patterson was repeatedly asked under cross-examination by prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC whether she was lying about the deadly lunch and other parts of her evidence before her triple-murder trial. Patterson, 50, faces three charges of murder and one charge of attempted murder relating to poisoning four in-laws with beef wellington served for lunch at her house in Leongatha on 29 July 2023. Patterson has pleaded not guilty to murdering her estranged husband Simon Patterson's parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and his aunt Heather Wilkinson, and attempting to murder Ian Wilkinson, Simon's uncle and Heather's husband. Lawyers for Patterson say the death cap mushroom poisoning was a tragic and terrible accident. Patterson told the court last week that she had a pre-assessment booking for gastric bypass surgery scheduled at Enrich Clinic in September 2023. But Rogers said to Patterson on Tuesday that Enrich was a cosmetic dermatology clinic, and did not offer gastric bypass surgery. Patterson said she was 'puzzled' that was the case. 'In what way?' Rogers asked. 'Well I had an appointment with them, and that's my memory of what the appointment was for, so that's why I'm puzzled.' Rogers confirmed the appointment was made, and had been cancelled by Patterson two days before it was scheduled. Patterson believed the appointment related to weight loss surgery, but said it may have been a different procedure. 'It wasn't a lie, that's what my memory was,' Patterson said. Rogers also asked Patterson about her evidence last week that she made herself vomit in the hours after the lunch, after she felt overfull from eating the beef wellington and a large portion of orange cake. Patterson said she had a history of binge eating and purging dating back to her 20s. Rogers accused Patterson of lying about vomiting on the afternoon of the lunch after her guests left. 'You did not tell a single medical person that you had vomited up after the lunch on the 29th of July?' Rogers asked. 'That is true, I didn't do that,' Patterson said. Rogers suggested to Patterson that she lied about vomiting after the lunch, and about how much she ate at lunch, 'because you're trying to account for why the others were seriously ill and you were not'. 'I wish that was true, but it's not,' Patterson responded. Patterson also denied suggestions from Rogers regarding the plating at the lunch. Patterson said evidence Ian gave about the guests being served on matching large grey plates, and Patterson serving herself on a smaller lighter coloured plate, was incorrect. She said she did not know whether evidence Simon gave about Heather making two comments to him about mismatched plates was also wrong. Rogers suggested to Patterson she used different plates as she made poisoned beef wellingtons for her guests, but that hers did not contain death cap mushrooms. 'To avoid any error, you took the extra precaution of using a different and smaller plate, to plate your non-poisoned serve, correct or incorrect,' Rogers asked. 'Incorrect,' Patterson responded. Patterson said she did not one a set of four matching plates. 'I suggest your whole story is untrue that you plated the food without discrimination,' Rogers asked her. 'You're wrong,' Patterson replied. Earlier on Tuesday morning, after answering a question from Rogers regarding the internet search history of devices seized from her home, Patterson attempted to further clarify the evidence before Rogers asked another question. 'Ms Patterson, I am the person who asks the questions,' Rogers said. 'If there something that needs to be clarified in re-examination, your barrister will do so.' 'No problem,' Patterson replied. The trial continues. In Australia, the Butterfly Foundation is at 1800 33 4673. In the UK, Beat can be contacted on 0808-801-0677. In the US, help is available at or by calling ANAD's eating disorders hotline at 800-375-7767. Other international helplines can be found at Eating Disorder Hope
