Latest news with #StephenEppingstall
News.com.au
3 days ago
- General
- News.com.au
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.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Erin Patterson trial live: lead detective in Australian mushroom case continues giving evidence on day 24 of trial
Update: Date: 2025-06-02T00:38:34.000Z Title: Colin Mandy SC Content: The jurors have entered the courtroom in Morwell. Patterson's defence lawyer, , is cross-examining Eppingstall. Update: Date: 2025-06-02T00:36:25.000Z Title: Welcome Content: Erin Patterson's trial is entering its sixth week. We're expecting Det Leading Sen Const Stephen Eppingstall, the officer in charge of investigating the fatal lunch, to continue giving evidence today. While we wait for today's proceedings to get under way, here's a reminder of what the jury heard last week. Our justice and courts reporter, Nino Bucci, was in Morwell last week and reported from inside the court room.
News.com.au
28-05-2025
- Health
- News.com.au
Erin Patterson trial: Crown's final witness Detective leading Senior Constable Stephen Eppingstall to continue evidence
The homicide squad detective who charged Erin Patterson with murder following the death of three of her in-laws is set to face questioning from her lawyers. Detective leading Senior Constable Stephen Eppingstall will return to the witness box on Thursday for his third day of giving evidence at the triple-murder trial. Earlier this week, the jury was told Constable Eppingstall would be the last witness called by the Crown in the case. Prosecutors allege Ms Patterson intentionally poisoned a beef wellington lunch with death cap mushrooms on July 29, 2023. Her lawyers, on the other hand, have asked the jury to find the deaths were a tragic accident and acquit Ms Patterson. Her husband Simon Patterson's parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and aunt, Heather Wilkinson, died in the week after the lunch from organ failure attributed to mushroom poisoning. Heather's husband, Ian Wilkinson, fell gravely ill but recovered after a long stint in hospital. After prosecutor Jane Warren told the court she had no further questions for Constable Eppingstall on Wednesday afternoon, Ms Patterson's barrister Colin Mandy SC began to probe the detective before the hearing was adjourned for the day. His first question asked the officer if his client had no criminal history, with Constable Eppingstall responding: 'Yes'. Mr Mandy then turned to whether Ms Patterson was helpful in the initial stages of the investigation, advising police where to find leftovers of the lunch, giving her gate access code and permission to break into her home if needed. Again the detective said 'yes'. Over the last 45 minutes of the day, Mr Mandy took Constable Eppingstall through a series of medical notes, phone messages and hospital records about Ms Patterson's health. Records shown to the jury in late 2021 and early 2022 indicate Ms Patterson was seeking medical advice for a host of health complaints including fatigue, weight gain and overactive bladder, pins and needles and clumsiness. 'Erin worries about ovary cancer, has been googling her symptoms, thinks her symptoms may suggestive of ovary cancer,' a doctor's note from October 2021 reads, indicating follow up tests had been scheduled. Another medical record outlining Ms Patterson's self-reported family history, states that her paternal aunt and maternal aunt had ovarian cancer. Messages on encrypted messaging platform Signal between Ms Patterson and Simon Patterson on January 4 and 5, 2022, record her complaining about her health while on a holiday to Tasmania. 'It's my heart that's troubling me,' Ms Patterson wrote. 'I'm struggling with the energy to do basic things like get in and out of the car and after I have a shower I need to lie down and rest.' Ms Patterson later messages she's 'been doing some research' and her symptoms fit with right-sided heart failure. Mr Mandy asks Constable Eppingstall if the records were 'consistent with Erin Patterson being concerned about various health issues?' 'Yes, sir,' the detective replies. Prosecutors alleged Ms Patterson orchestrated the lunch with the 'false claim' of a cancer diagnosis, while her defence contents she only told the lunch guests she had a 'suspected' diagnosis. The trial continues.
