Erin Patterson has been accused of sending health authorities on a “wild goose chase” to track down the shop where she claimed to have bought dried mushrooms used in a deadly lunch.
Crown prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC continued her cross-examination of Patterson today by asking about the origins of the mushrooms contained in the beef Wellingtons she served.
The 50-year-old’s former in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, both 70, and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, 66, died after consuming the meal, while Heather’s husband Ian became seriously ill but survived.
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Patterson has pleaded not guilty to three charges of murder and one attempted murder charge.
She denies deliberately poisoning her lunch guests on July 29, 2023, when she served them the death cap mushroom-laced dishes.
The mushroom cook agreed the first time she mentioned dried mushrooms being in the meal was in a call with her former brother-in-law, Matthew Patterson, while she was in hospital, when he asked where the ingredients had come from.
“I said possibly the Oakleigh area,” she told the court.
Patterson was pointed to evidence from doctors and others who suggested she told them she bought the mushrooms in Oakleigh, Clayton or Glen Waverley, all suburbs in east Melbourne.
She was also shown texts between her and Department of Health manager Sally Ann Atkinson in which she described the mushroom packaging.
Patterson agreed with the prosecutor that the mushroom packaging did not look professional, was in a small snack-sized bag that was not resealable and didn’t have a printed label.
“You gave detailed (recollection of the) packaging even though you couldn’t give details about the store,” Rogers said.
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“Correct,” Patterson responded.
“You wanted it to sound like they were not commercially produced mushrooms,” the prosecutor continued.
“Incorrect,” the accused replied.
Rogers suggested Patterson used the information to make her story about buying death cap mushrooms from an Asian grocer “seem more believable”.
But the accused killer replied she didn’t remember saying she bought death caps from an Asian grocer.
“I suggest you were deliberately vague about suburbs when asked about it,” Rogers said.
“Incorrect,” Patterson responded.
“Your story kept changing,” the prosecutor said.
“I don’t think it did,” Patterson replied.
In a police interview, Patterson said she had been “very, very helpful” with the health department during their investigation.
But Rogers suggested Patterson wasn’t “very, very helpful to the department”.
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“You sent them on a wild goose chase to find this Asian grocer,” the prosecutor said.
“Incorrect,” Patterson replied.
Patterson was also asked about leftovers she fed her children a day after the fatal lunch, telling the court: “I was pretty clear it was the meal minus the mushrooms and pastry, so not the same.”
Rogers queried why she fed her kids the food despite suspecting the meal made Don and Gail sick.
“I didn’t know or suspect that,” Patterson replied.
“You told the lie about feeding leftovers to your children because it gave you some distance from a deliberate poisoning,” Rogers suggested.
“I don’t see how it could, but I disagree anyway,” Patterson responded.
The trial continues.
LISTEN NOW: The Mushroom Trial Say Grace is the latest podcast from Nine and The Age. Join journalists Penelope Liersch and Erin Pearson as they take listeners inside the case that’s grabbed global headlines. You can listen on Apple here and Spotify here.
