Latest news with #gastro
The Guardian
15-05-2025
- The Guardian
Child protection worker reveals what Erin Patterson told her in wake of fatal mushroom lunch
A child protection worker said that Erin Patterson described her estranged husband Simon as 'nasty', 'controlling' and 'emotionally abusive', and believed he was isolating her from his parents, a Victorian court has heard. The worker also said Patterson did not answer her the following day when she asked whether she had picked the mushrooms used in the lunch. Patterson, 50, has pleaded not guilty to three charges of murder and one charge of attempted murder relating to the lunch she served at her house in Leongatha, Victoria on 29 July 2023. Patterson is accused of murdering her estranged husband Simon's parents, Don and Gail Patterson, his aunt Heather Wilkinson, and attempting to murder Ian Wilkinson, Simon's uncle and Heather's husband. Erin Patterson hosts lunch for estranged husband Simon's parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and his aunt and uncle Heather and Ian Wilkinson. Patterson serves beef wellington. All four lunch guests are admitted to hospital with gastro-like symptoms. Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson die in hospital. Don Patterson dies in hospital. Victoria police search Erin Patterson's home and interview her. Ian Wilkinson is discharged from hospital after weeks in intensive care. Police again search Erin Patterson's home, and she is arrested and interviewed. She is charged with three counts of murder relating to the deaths of Don and Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson, and the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson. Jury is sworn in. Murder trial begins. Jury hears that charges of attempting to murder her estranged husband Simon are dropped. The Victorian supreme court sitting in Morwell has previously heard the guests died after being poisoned with death cap mushrooms that were in a paste used by Patterson to make individual beef wellingtons. The prosecution alleges Patterson deliberately poisoned her lunch guests with 'murderous intent', but her lawyers say the poisoning was a tragedy and terrible accident. Katrina Cripps told the court on Thursday that she received a notification on 1 August 2023 regarding a referral to child protection about Erin and Simon Patterson's two children. She said that her and a colleague spoke with Simon, Patterson, and the children while the group were at the Monash medical centre. Cripps said her colleague took notes of their conversation with Patterson. She told the court that the conversation touched upon an application Patterson filed for child support the previous year, and her relationship with Simon and his parents. Of the period when Patterson applied for child support, Cripps told the court she told the child protection workers 'as a husband he'd been mean but he'd never been nasty, and she felt that was the time that he'd become nasty'. Patterson said 'Don and Gail had been like the parents she never had, her parents had died some time ago … but that relationship had changed recently as well' as 'she felt that he was isolating her from his family', Cripps told the court. Cripps said Patterson told her 'about feeling like [Simon] was controlling and emotionally abusive, in that he would say things to her that would make her doubt herself as a parent and as a mother, and it would impact her self-esteem'. Patterson also told Cripps about hosting her parents-in-law for lunch with her children earlier in 2023, and that she had invited them because 'she just wanted to reconnect with them and see them'. Cripps said Patterson told her that she decided to cook beef wellington for the 29 July 2023 lunch as she 'wanted to do something new and special' after finding the recipe in a RecipeTin Eats cookbook. She said she had invited the Pattersons and Wilkinsons as she had something she wanted to discuss with them, and get their advice. Notes from the conversation also show Patterson told Cripps she had eaten half of the beef wellington, Cripps told the court. Patterson and her children were discharged from hospital later that day, but Cripps paid a visit her home the following day, which she said was standard in child protection cases. She said that Patterson showed her around the home during this 2 August 2023 visit, and she believed it had been specifically set up to cater to her children and their interests. Patterson took a call from Sallyann Atkinson, from the department of health, during Cripps' visit, and Cripps said she heard the phone call as it was on speaker. Atkinson was attempting to establish which Asian grocer Patterson had purchased dried mushrooms from for the beef wellingtons. The court has heard evidence from multiple people who say they were told by Patterson she used dried mushrooms from an Asian grocer in the lunch. Cripps said she told Patterson to check her bank statements prior to the call, and she had seen her scrolling through her phone but had not seen what was on her screen. Patterson later explained that she could find no record of the transaction, but that she may have paid cash if it was only a small amount. Cripps said that after the phone call she asked Patterson whether she had picked the mushrooms used in the meal, but she did not answer and continued looking at her phone. Under cross examination from Sophie Stafford, a barrister for Patterson, Cripps agreed that after this conversation with Atkinson she also asked Patterson whether she had a support network outside Simon and his family. Cripps also agreed that Patterson became upset and distressed at the prospect she may lose the support network of the Pattersons. On 4 August, Cripps said she again spoke with Patterson, this time on the phone. She agreed she asked Patterson whether she had an update on the condition of the lunch guests, but she said she hadn't, and expressed that she was finding this distressing. Cripps agreed that she knew at the time of the call that Heather Wilkinson had died, but that she did not tell Patterson that because of welfare concerns. 'Yes, and it wasn't my place to,' Cripps told the court. Patterson also told her during the phone call that she was concerned about her security and privacy, and she was planning on changing her phone number, Cripps agreed. The trial continues.
RNZ News
08-05-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
Cryptosporidiosis cases continue to rise in Wellington
A coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a group of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis bacteria. Photo: SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY The number of cryptosporidiosis cases in the Wellington region has risen to 90, with four cases reported in the past week. Medical Officer of Health for the National Public Health Service Dr Jill McKenzie said the number of new cases continued to decrease, and over the past month, the number had been similar to the same time last year. Health New Zealand said initially most cases were associated with swimming pools , however, recent cases were more likely to be from close contact with an infected person. However, the agency continued to liaise with any swimming pool or early childhood education centre that might be associated with a case, to support with limiting further spread. Crypto is a gastro bug that causes vomiting and diarrhoea, and people can remain infectious for up to two weeks. People who have been unwell must not swim for two weeks after diarrhoea has stopped because crypto can still spread for two weeks after the illness has gone away. Children can return to preschool once symptom free for 48 hours with a focus on promoting good hand washing and drying. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
The Guardian
08-05-2025
- The Guardian
Australia mushroom murders trial: Erin Patterson ‘didn't look unwell' like other lunch attendees, hospital nurse tells court
Erin Patterson 'didn't look unwell' compared with two of her seriously ill lunch guests, and was angry, flustered and teary while repeatedly saying 'I don't want any of this' in relation to her hospital treatment, a nurse has told the Victorian supreme court. Cindy Munro, who was working at Leongatha hospital on 31 July 2023, gave evidence on Thursday in Patterson's triple murder trial, which is being held in the Latrobe Valley law courts in Morwell. Patterson, 50, faces three charges of murder and one charge of attempted murder relating to the lunch she served at her house in Leongatha on 29 July 2023. She has pleaded not guilty to murdering or attempting to murder the relatives of her estranged husband, Simon Patterson. Timeline Show Erin Patterson hosts lunch for estranged husband Simon's parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and his aunt and uncle Heather and Ian Wilkinson. Patterson serves beef wellington. All four lunch guests are admitted to hospital with gastro-like symptoms. Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson die in hospital. Don Patterson dies in hospital. Victoria police search Erin Patterson's home and interview her. Ian Wilkinson is discharged from hospital after weeks in intensive care. Police again search Erin Patterson's home, and she is arrested and interviewed. She is charged with three counts of murder relating to the deaths of Don and Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson, and the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson. Murder trial begins. Jury hears that charges of attempting to murder her estranged husband Simon are dropped. Thank you for your feedback. Patterson is accused of murdering Simon's parents, Don and Gail Patterson, his aunt Heather Wilkinson, and attempting to murder Ian Wilkinson, Simon's uncle and Heather's husband. Patterson's defence barrister, Colin Mandy SC, told the court last week that she accidentally poisoned her lunch guests with death cap mushrooms served in beef wellingtons. The prosecution say Patterson deliberately poisoned them, but told the jury that they would not – and did not have to – present a motive for the alleged murders or attempted murder. Munro, a registered nurse, told the court that it was her observation Patterson did not appear as unwell as the Wilkinsons, who were in the hospital the previous morning but had since been transferred to a larger hospital in Melbourne. 'She didn't look unwell like Heather and Ian,' Munro said. 'Ian looked so unwell he could barely lift his head. 'She didn't look unwell to me.' Munro had been asked to cannulate Patterson, as it was expected she would need to receive fluids to assist with her reported diarrhea, but also to receive N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), a liver treatment commonly used in suspected poisoning cases. But Patterson said multiple times 'I don't want any of this' in relation to the treatment, Munro said. Munro agreed that Patterson also became flustered, angry and teary. About midday, Munro said she learned that Patterson's children had eaten leftovers of the same meal, but with the mushrooms scraped off. Munro said she told Patterson there was a risk death cap mushroom toxin had 'seeped through the meat' and that her children also required urgent treatment. 'She didn't want to cause any hassle, she didn't want to take them out of school,' Munro said Patterson responded. 'And that's when she became quite teary, and quite worried, and … said 'I don't want the children to be involved in this'.' The court also heard from other medical professionals who spoke with Patterson when she presented to hospital earlier that same morning. The court heard on Wednesday that she left after five minutes, despite being warned about the seriousness of the suspected poisoning. A 'discharge at own risk' form signed by Patterson was shown to the court, which also noted that next to a section reading 'capacity' she wrote: 'Me'. Kylie Ashton, the director of nursing and midwifery at Gippsland Southern Health Service, told the court she told Patterson during the short period she first presented to hospital that her heart rate was 'dangerously high', and that this, and her blood pressure, could be signs of poisoning. She also emphasised the time critical nature of the NAC treatment, she said. Patterson arrived at hospital about 8.05am and discharged herself at 8.10am, with the court hearing that Ashton and two doctors spoke with her during this time about how critical it was that she remain there. The first police witness in the case, Senior Constable Adrian Martinez-Villalobis from Mirboo North police, also gave evidence about Patterson being cooperative during a conversation he had with her on the phone about trying to recover leftovers of the beef wellingtons from an outside wheelie bin. Martinez-Villalobis had been called by the hospital to attend Patterson's house after she discharged herself from hospital. Tanya Patterson, who is married to Simon's younger brother Matthew, also gave evidence on Thursday. She said that while Simon and Patterson had a good relationship despite their separation in 2015, this had deteriorated in the 12 months before the lunch. This was because of a dispute over child support, and because Patterson moved the children's schools without telling Simon, she said. Tanya also spoke about visiting Patterson in Monash hospital on 1 August 2023. She had been transferred there via ambulance on the afternoon of 31 July 2023. 'Erin asked me how everybody was, and I told her that things were going downhill quickly, but I didn't have the latest information,' Tanya told the court. Three of the guests were in a coma at that point, Tanya said. After leaving Patterson, she went to visit Patterson's children, who were in the same hospital, and then texted Patterson an update, Tanya told the court. 'She said thanks so much, and thanks for visiting,' Tanya said. The trial before Justice Christopher Beale continues.
RNZ News
08-05-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
Wellington facing twice the amount of usual cryptosporidium
science health 20 minutes ago A nasty gastro parasite is making its presence felt in the capital with twice the number cryptosporidium cases that would be normal around this time of the year. As of last Thursday, there were 81 confirmed cases reported in the Greater Wellington Region for the year, with the majority reported from mid-March. The bug can cause severe vomiting and diarrhoea and people can be infectious for up to two weeks. Professor of Parasitology from the University of Otago Bruce Russell spoke to Lisa Owen.
The Guardian
07-05-2025
- The Guardian
Mushroom lunch guest's daughter gives emotional evidence, says mother told her meal ‘went well' prior to death
The children of lunch guests who died after being served beef wellington by Erin Patterson have given evidence at her triple murder trial. Anna Terrington and Matthew Patterson, the children of Don and Gail Patterson, and Ruth Dubois, the daughter of Heather and Ian Wilkinson were called as witnesses on Wednesday in the supreme court, sitting at the Latrobe Valley law courts in Morwell. Patterson, 50, faces three charges of murder and one charge of attempted murder relating to the lunch she served at her house in Leongatha on 29 July 2023. Patterson has pleaded not guilty to murdering or attempting to murder the relatives of her estranged husband, Simon Patterson. She is accused of murdering Simon's parents, Don and Gail Patterson, his aunt Heather Wilkinson, and attempting to murder Ian Wilkinson, Simon's uncle and Heather's husband. Terrington, Don and Gail's youngest child, told the court she had known Patterson since the accused and Simon started a relationship in about 2005. She agreed that her parents maintained a good relationship with Patterson despite her separating from Simon in 2015. Timeline Show Erin Patterson hosts lunch for estranged husband Simon's parents, Don and Gail Patterson, and his aunt and uncle Heather and Ian Wilkinson. Patterson serves beef wellington. All four lunch guests are admitted to hospital with gastro-like symptoms. Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson die in hospital. Don Patterson dies in hospital. Victoria police search Erin Patterson's home and interview her. Ian Wilkinson is discharged from hospital after weeks in intensive care. Police again search Erin Patterson's home, and she is arrested and interviewed. She is charged with three counts of murder relating to the deaths of Don and Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson, and the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson. Murder trial begins. Jury hears that charges of attempting to murder her estranged husband Simon are dropped. Thank you for your feedback. Terrington also agreed, under cross examination from Sophie Stafford, for Patterson, that they had been supportive of her and there was no animosity between them. About 5pm on the day of the lunch, about two hours after her parents returned home, Terrington spoke to her mother. 'Mum said it went well,' Terrington, who became emotional during her evidence, told the court. 'She said that they had beef wellington, and that it was too much for mum, so dad finished hers.' Terrington agreed that Patterson and Simon loaned her and her husband about $400,000, and that she had been close with Patterson during one of their pregnancies. These pregnancies resulted in them having children three days apart that were known in the family as 'the twins', the court heard. Matthew Patterson, a church pastor, also agreed his parents had a positive relationship with Patterson, which remained the 'status quo' even after her separation from Simon. He told the court about a lunch in 2021 when Patterson told him she was sad the relationship was 'unable to move forward', and she asked him for advice about how to get Simon to participate in counselling relating to the marriage. Matthew said it appeared that the communication between Simon and Patterson had become more 'mechanical' in recent years, and that she attended less family events, but acknowledged that may have been because Covid-19 made such events less frequent. Dubois, who said in court that she only considered herself an acquaintance of Patterson, expressed surprise when her mother, Heather Wilkinson, told her she had been invited to lunch. Patterson had come across Heather and Gail after a sermon at the Korumburra Baptist church, where Ian was a pastor, 13 days before the lunch. Dubois said her mother told her Patterson said to them after the sermon 'just the two I was looking for' and asked them for lunch. Her mother said, after Dubois expressed surprise at the invitation, 'yes, we were surprised also, that had never happened before'. The court also heard from medical witnesses about the treatment provided to the lunch guests, and a search of the Victorian cancer registry, which confirmed Patterson was never diagnosed with cancer. The court has previously heard Patterson told her lunch guests that she had cancer, but her lawyers told the court it was acknowledged she had never been diagnosed. The trial continues.
