Latest news with #ErinPatterson
ABC News
12 hours ago
- ABC News
No psychometric testing review in Australian aviation after Erin Patterson, Greg Lynn cases
The aviation sector was once home to two of the nation's most high-profile murderers, however documents reveal Airservices Australia and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority have not reviewed their systems of psychometric testing. The ABC sought documents through the Freedom of Information (FOI) process about former air traffic controller Erin Patterson, former Jetstar pilot Greg Lynn and the testing used to assess the suitability of people in the aviation industry. Last week, Patterson was found guilty of three counts of murder and one of attempted murder, for fatally poisoning her lunch guests with a beef Wellington dish containing death cap mushrooms. Former Jetstar pilot Greg Lynn was found guilty of murdering Carol Clay during a campsite dispute in Victoria's High Country in 2020. The fight, which was not witnessed by anyone else, also resulted in the death of Ms Clay's companion, Russell Hill. Lynn continues to maintain his innocence, arguing that he was not to blame for either death and is appealing the jury's decision that he murdered Ms Clay. Erin Patterson, then Erin Scutter, was employed by Airservices Australia as an air traffic controller from February 12, 2001 to November 28, 2002. She was charged with murder in 2023. The ABC sought documents from Airservices Australia that covered any reviews or reports on the psychometric testing regime in the four years to May 2025. Psychometric tests measure individual's mental capabilities and behavioural style, and are used by government departments and private companies to assess candidates and employees. The tests may be used to assess suitability for roles, suggesting how someone would cope in jobs that involve stressful or demanding tasks. In addition, Airservices was requested to check for any meetings about psychometric testing that including a senior management member in the same time period. Its response to both queries was that nothing was found, despite liaising with its people and culture department, who manage the providers of Airservices' psychometric testing. "P&C confirmed they do not hold any relevant documents, and neither were they aware of any review or report in this regard." Asked for further information, Airservices Australia declined to comment beyond confirming the dates of Erin Patterson's employment. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has been asked repeatedly about its testing since Greg Lynn was charged with murder. The FOI documents revealed that in March 2022, a journalist from The Australian asked how Greg Lynn passed a medical exam months after the High Country deaths. The extensive response discussed the assessment process for people to hold "aviation medical certificates" including mental health checks. "Aviation medical examiners, community consulting medical practitioners and the CASA Medical Officers together apply their extensive clinical and aviation medical experience to work with the person holding the certificate, to ensure their mental health is not an issue for their aviation activities," CASA said. "Personality and behaviour issues are not the same as issues with mental health or the presence of mental illness, although they can be linked. "Although violent offenders may be more likely to have a mental health disorder than people who do not commit violent acts, it is important to be clear that people with mental illness are not destined to become violent offenders, and most violent offenders do not have a mental illness." Psychometric testing is used to measure intellectual aptitude and personality traits, rather than as a method to diagnose a mental health condition. CASA also has a system in place for the reporting of "unsafe behaviours" such as excessive drinking, which are "reviewed and investigated as appropriate". Contacted about the assessment and any changes since that time, a CASA spokesperson said the agency "thoroughly assesses the health of every commercial airline pilot and air traffic controller". "Further psychometric testing may be used in specific situations where necessary, such as where a head injury or mild cognitive impairment is involved," the spokesperson said. "CASA works closely with community medical practitioners and aviation employers to identify and address current, and the risk of future, health issues." The trial of Greg Lynn over the deaths of Carol Clay and Russell Hill in the remote Wonnangatta Valley may have transfixed the nation, but it didn't appear to cause discussion at Airservices Australia. In a three-year period covering his arrest and eventual conviction, "Greg Lynn was not the subject of discussion, correspondence, meetings etc", a spokesperson said. While the name "Greg Lynn" appeared in the results captured by routine media summary emails that collate articles from news media websites, which are then circulated to Airservices personnel for interest, an FOI request returned no responses. A separate request for documents relating to Erin Patterson was declined, on the grounds the documents were exempt due to "affecting enforcement of law", concerned "Commonwealth-State relations" and could impact the "personal privacy" of Patterson and others. In declining the documents, Airservices Australia said it had consulted with officers of the Victorian government, but that the "ongoing matter currently before the courts" meant any release of the material "could reasonably be expected to prejudice the conduct of the investigation". "I consider that disclosure of the documents would prejudice the current investigations on foot. I consider it likely that the documents and the parties involved, will be subject to scrutiny over matters which have not been thoroughly investigated by the appropriate law enforcement agency," it said. In refusing the release, the decision maker said if the documents were made public, it was likely that "the relevant parties would be discouraged from actively participating in the current investigation" and this could prejudice the current investigation. The Freedom of Information (FOI) process — also called Right To Information (RTI) in some jurisdictions — aims to give people access to information created by government agencies and departments. The vast majority of requests are from people seeking their own records or details of their interactions with a department. Federally the department that fields the most requests is Home Affairs (which manages visas) and Services Australia (which manages Centrelink). In states and territories, most applications tend to be to agencies that deal with the public, such as the police and hospitals. Journalists, researchers, think-tanks and politicians also use the process to examine government decision making and outcomes. Search "FOI" on the website of the department or agency you are seeking information from. Charges may apply.
ABC News
a day ago
- ABC News
What it's like being a criminal lawyer in the true-crime boom
From the moment Erin Patterson stepped into the courtroom for her murder trial, there were five high-profile podcasts following her every move. In the hours and days after Patterson was found guilty on three counts of murder, a flurry of follow-up content was revealed. ABC announced a drama Toxic, based on the case; Nine announced they already had a one-hour documentary titled Murder by Mushroom, ready for airing. This is in addition to a Stan doco, announced back in February, months before the case went to trial. This obsession with true-crime content — be it fact-based or fictionalised — is not new, nor is it localised to Australia. The Australian's Teacher's Pet podcast has been credited with bringing attention to Chris Dawson's crimes, but experts warned the attention threatened his right to a fair trial. In the US, Ryan Murphy's Monster series on the Menendez brothers brought attention to the pair's parole pleas, despite their family claiming it was 'riddled with mistruths'. The flood of content presents a peculiar conundrum for criminal lawyers, who find themselves in the middle of the media melee while also trying to give their clients the fairest treatment possible. Lauren Cassimatis is the founder and principal lawyer at Melbourne's Gallant Law, with more than 20 years' experience practising criminal law. We spoke to her about what it's like to be a criminal defence lawyer in the era of trial by entertainment. We have a lot of media approaching us wanting to talk about cases. There'll be some lawyers that attempt to get in the media and make that commentary, and they need to really think about how it might affect their clients and breach confidentiality obligations. The other thing is that we're all human, so the media might even skew us in terms of our thoughts or perspectives. So we need to detach from what's being put out there and just really focus on what we're trained to do, which is analyse the strengths and weaknesses of a case, develop a sound case theory, take into account our clients' instructions, and direct that strategy. You gotta turn your mind off from publications and portrayals and just really focus on trusting your instincts as a lawyer, and your intuition, and just focusing on the case at hand. I think that's what our ethical obligation is. We can't get caught up in the drama and the glamour of it all. We can't throw our clients under the bus for a bit of media. I am, and I'm also surprised by the fascination with the case. I don't know what it is. There've been plenty of murder cases I've been involved in that have been just as interesting. I don't know what it is. It almost feels comical, like we're being entertained by it, rather than [it being] seen as educational. I think so — there are some offenders out there that, whether they're found guilty or not, they become celebrities. People are fascinated by them because, for some reason, people have been entertained by them. In terms of it compromising the right to a fair trial, especially from a victim's perspective, I think it's dangerous. What does their future hold for them? I'm a big advocate for supporting reintegration into society and supporting offenders' rehabilitation; I think everyone deserves a second chance. Why are some people not given that second chance? I don't think it takes much, to be honest, because I think most people have the mentality that where there's smoke there's fire. So, if the perpetrator has already been charged, it's hard to get people to detach and focus on the weaknesses of the case, while also trying to get them to understand that there might be more to a case than what is presented in the media. I had a client where it was very high-profile in the media leading up to the trial, and the jury were directed to not do their own research, but they still decided to do it on their own time because they were fascinated by being part of this "Whodunnit?" case. As soon as this was revealed, the whole trial was aborted and we had to start again with a brand new jury. Another example, I represented a lady charged with manslaughter against her husband. She was a true victim of domestic violence by him. She came into court, very timid, very broken about what happened — but the media love a 'Black Widow' story. So there were drawings of her looking very sexy, very glamorous, nothing like what she looked like in reality. [There were] articles about her trying to steal the land he owned and murdering him for money. That definitely was an issue for us in the trial. We had to address that to the jury because it was all over the media. It depends which side of the fence you're on. If the offender is portrayed as a victim, in terms of some history and background to what happened, it could have a negative impact on the community, [especially] if they feel that the experience of the victim is being undermined and not appreciating the gravity of offending. But, on the other hand, if you're a defence lawyer like me, or if you've got someone in your family that's been accused of a crime or been through the justice system, sometimes if the offender is being portrayed sympathetically, it helps you see things from a position of empathy. So I think it could be detrimental in terms of really creating a mockery of whoever's involved in it, whether it's the victim or the offender. It definitely gives the wrong idea of how the justice system operates, the court procedure, the criminal procedure and process. It gives people false hopes about avenues open to them and timing. For example, shows like NCIS, where they get results back from the lab instantly: it just does not happen in reality. You've got forensic centres that the police rely on that could spend months, even years, trying to analyse evidence, whether it's technological devices or DNA. Also, the way trials are run, the way barristers jump up and down at the bar table, that rarely happens in reality. In fact, what we know is barristers that exercise polite persuasion in court get further than the ones that put on a performance, especially aggressive performances. The same with "approaching the bench", which happens often in American shows — it doesn't happen here in Australia. So clients often expect you to have a moment with the judge at the bench. It's a really hard one, because the law states that the public can have access to a trial. The public ought to know what's going on in the courtroom. So you can't necessarily stop the media from reporting on a case. The public needs to know what's happening. There are select cases where you can successfully apply for suppression orders, especially when someone's safety is at risk, but I don't think you can stop it. I think people are so enthralled by true crime, I don't think we'll ever be able to stop it or contain it. It's just a matter of educating people to appreciate that what you see in the media isn't necessarily reality. I'll read media reports about my own cases later, and I laugh because I go, "OK, yeah, that's right, that fits, true," but then there's some other bits that are missing.
ABC News
a day ago
- ABC News
ABC Mushroom Case Daily continues to grow in June
Mushroom Case Daily was the third most listened to podcast in June with 670,000 listeners, according to the June Triton Australian Podcast Ranker released today. ABC Head of Audio on Demand Jessica Radburn said: 'It demonstrates again that when there are high public interest stories, Australian audiences turn to the ABC to understand them. 'Sensing the strong audience interest, months before the trial started the team developed a clear strategy for how the show could produce daily episodes during the court proceedings. 'It was important to cover this story in a way that balanced the undeniable public interest with respect to the tragic human impacts at the centre of the trial.' The ABC had four out of the top 10 podcasts in the June Triton Australian Podcast Ranker with ABC News Top Storie s taking No 1 spot, up two places from the May list. Mushroom Case Daily was No 3 with an additional 46,000 listeners from last month, ABC News Daily No 6 and Conversations No 9. The ABC had 3.1 million listeners across its podcast slate in June and had 44 titles in the expanded top 300 podcast ranker. Mushroom Case Daily follows the case of Erin Patterson, who this month was found guilty of three counts of murder and one of attempted murder for deliberately poisoning her lunch guests' food with death cap mushrooms. Throughout the trial court reporter Kristian Silva, producer Stephen Stockwell and journalist Rachael Brown kept audiences up to date with highlights from court, breaking down the legal process along the way. 'The biggest surprise for the team was how engaged the audience was in learning more about the minutiae of daily court processes and jury logistics, as well as following Stocky, Kristian and Rachael's daily lives as they were reporting on the case,' Radburn said. 'We've had more than 8000 emails to the Mushroom Case Daily inbox from engaged audience members in Australia and around the world, which the team incorporated into the show to ensure the audience's questions were responded to daily. 'There's still more to come for the program, with the team continuing to dissect the verdict and respond to audience questions. They will also cover the sentencing.' Since it began producing daily episodes, Mushroom Case Daily has become the ABC's most successful podcast in a decade. It is the No 1 podcast on Apple Australia's podcast chart, No 2 on Spotify's Trending chart and has broken into the Spotify Top 20 –a first for an ABC podcast. Mushroom Case Daily has also been featured on The Washington Post, The Project and Mamamia. Audiences can enjoy every episode of Mushroom Case Daily for free and ad free on ABC listen. The Australian Podcast Ranker is a regular monthly snapshot of Australia's most popular podcasts. The Ranker has been reporting podcast listening in Australia since 2019 and includes a wide cross section of Australian podcast publishers, from both radio and non-radio backgrounds. The full Triton Australian Podcast Ranker can be found here. Media contact Laura Todd, ABC Communications
News.com.au
a day ago
- News.com.au
‘Openly admitted': Former inmate reveals Erin Patterson's prison threat to estranged husband
Erin Patterson has been talking during the 19 months since her arrest in November 2023. The mushroom cook killer, who poisoned three of her in-laws with a beef wellington dish laced with death cap mushrooms, is by all accounts quite chatty behind bars. One former inmate who shared a unit with Patterson at Melbourne's maximum security women's prison says the 50-year-old wants to be the 'centre of attention'. 'She's intelligent but ... she is entitled, arrogant, demanding and rude,' the former inmate told this week. Locked up with Patterson for more than a year, the ex-prisoner kept meticulous diary notes. One in particular stands out. Dated the 27th of July, 2024, the note makes mention of Patterson's estranged husband Simon and how she really feels about him. 'Erin hates her ex-husband and openly admitted — she has made comments about no matter how long she gets (in prison), she will kill him,' the former inmate said. During Patterson's marathon trial, before a jury found her guilty of three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder, text messages between the former couple were tendered into evidence. Erin Patterson's online messages were also tendered into evidence, including one where she wrote that Simon's mum should be 'horrified' that 'her son is such a deadbeat'. The pair had separated in 2015 but spent much of the following years maintaining an amicable relationship. Continuing to co-parent their two children, the couple remained friends and attended family events together. They even took family holidays. But, the jury was told, their relationship began to sour in the latter half of 2022. According to the former Dame Phyllis Frost Centre inmate who spoke to Patterson was truly resentful during her time in prison. on Monday shared details from inside the Murray Unit at the female prison on Melbourne's outskirts. Those details included an alleged poisoning incident that saw Patterson moved from the unit. A subsequent search of her cell recovered two bottles of mayonnaise and a chemistry book full of notations on natural remedies, the former inmate said. 'This is something I wrote in my notes,' the former inmate told 'I was talking with (another inmate) and asked if I could borrow her mayonnaise.'She just laughed and joked about me 'poisoning it like Erin Patterson did'. 'I was like 'What the f***?' and she told me the story about how prison officers found mayonnaise in Erin's room that was allegedly used to poison (one of the inmates). 'She went to medical and was vomiting everywhere. She was saying that the mushroom lady's cell was searched and they found chemistry books with pages tagged.' The former inmate kept a diary note dated the 29th of July, 2024. In it she writes that prison guards found 'two bottles of mayonnaise in Erin's clothes basket' when they searched her room. A justice department spokeswoman said: 'There is no evidence to support that there has been any contaminated food or suspected poisonings at Dame Phyllis Frost Centre.' But the former inmate who spoke to said the incident '100 per cent happened'. During her time with Patterson, the former inmate said the 50-year-old was 'hated'. 'She will need to be monitored by staff constantly. Nobody gives a shit about what she's done. They hate her because she's entitled, arrogant, demanding and rude. 'With Erin, she is constantly seeking special treatments, asking for things out of the ordinary that other prisoners wouldn't get. 'She is super intelligent, likes to make people feel like they're dumb. She is very manipulative. She gets fixated on things and doesn't see the mistakes that she makes. She mimics and makes fun of people, looks down at people.' The former inmate compared Patterson to Malka Leifer, the sex predator and former headmistress of the ultra-Orthodox Addas Israel school in Melbourne who is in a cell near Patterson's. exclusively revealed earlier this year that Leifer was being given perks in prison that no other inmate was getting. 'Some things I can't even explain to you. If she wants something, she gets it. She wanted an airfyer and had members of the Jewish community to write authorities about it. She gets whatever she wants.' The former inmate said Leifer has the ability to bake challah — a braided bread that the Jewish community eats for Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath, which is observed every Saturday. Patterson will be sentenced after the court reconvenes next month. In the meantime, she will take up a job behind bars. 'Likely textiles,' the former inmate said, noting that Patterson has been spending her time knitting gifts for her two children on the outside.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The surprise Aussie star tipped to play mushroom murderer Erin Patterson in true crime series
Rumours are circulating that a certain Aussie actress could be in the running to play Erin Patterson in a true crime TV series. Mandy McElhinney, 54, has been tipped to play the recently-convicted 'mushroom killer', with Netflix reportedly earmarking the actress for a possible movie. 'Mandy's perfect for the role of Erin,' a close source told Woman's Day. 'She's very talented and experienced with dramatic roles.' The Perth-born actress has appeared in a number of films, including Ned Kelly, Love Child and Hancock, while also becoming a household name through her portrayal of Rhonda in the famous AAMI commercials. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. It has not yet been confirmed whether Netflix will be bringing the mushroom murders to the screen, or if Mandy will appear in a possible project as the leading lady. However, it is known that some of the largest streaming platforms are hoping to be the first to cover the controversial murders. Stan is said to have a three-part docuseries in the works called Death Cap, which is set to hit screens in 2025. Last week, Erin Patterson was found guilty of murdering her three in-laws with death cap mushrooms in a beef Wellington that she served them for lunch at her home. The verdict marked the end of one of Australia's most intriguing homicide cases. The mother-of-two sat defiantly throughout her 10-week trial, glaring at the media, members of the public and the family of the people she murdered with callous disregard. Patterson had pleaded not guilty to the murders of Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson. They died after consuming death caps in the beef Wellingtons during lunch at Patterson's Leongatha home in southeast Victoria on July 29, 2023. Last week, Erin Patterson was found guilty of murdering her three in-laws with death cap mushrooms in a beef Wellington that she served them for lunch at her home Only Pastor Ian Wilkinson survived her plot - a blunder Patterson would live to regret, and will now serve time for after also being found guilty of attempting to murder him. Seated at the back of courtroom four of the Supreme Court of Victoria, sitting at the Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court, Patterson, dressed in a paisley shirt, appeared stunned as her fate was sealed that Monday afternoon. Asked to deliver a verdict, the jury foreperson - one of only five women to sit on the original 15-person panel - simply stated, 'guilty'. Patterson can expect to spend the next decades of her life caged within the walls of Dame Phyllis Frost Centre in Melbourne's west alongside a rogue's gallery of female killers.
