Erin Patterson: Alleged poisoner quizzed on mushrooms used in deadly lunch

The triple-murder trial of Erin Patterson has heard from a public health doctor who quizzed the alleged mushroom poisoner about the lunch.

Monash Health director of public health of infections diseases Rhonda Stuart was called to give evidence on Tuesday about her interactions with Ms Patterson on July 31, 2023, two days after the fatal lunch.

She told the court that she was questioned by Ms Patterson on why she was interviewing her, responding: “If the mushrooms she bought were causing a public health issue I’d need to know about it.”

Dr Stuart said Ms Patterson told her that she used two types of mushrooms, fresh from Woolworths and dried from an “Asian grocer”, when preparing the beef wellington lunch.

“She said they were in a sealed packet but she opened the packet and put them in another container,” Dr Stuart said.

“She said she made a paste, and when I asked her about the dried mushrooms, she said she’d used the entire lot so there was nothing left over.”

Dr Stuart told the court that Ms Patterson told her that “she ate about half of the meal”.

Ms Patterson ‘looked perfectly well’ in hospital.

Called to give evidence on Tuesday, Emergency registrar at Monash Health Dr Laura Muldoon told the jury there was no “clinical evidence” Ms Patterson experienced mushroom poisoning on August 1.

According to Dr Muldoon, she had “chapped lips but otherwise she looked perfectly well”, and was discharged from hospital later that evening.

Ms Patterson was transferred to Monash Health’s emergency department after self-presenting to Leongatha Hospital on July 31 and complaining of diarrhoea and abdominal cramping.

Quizzed by prosecutor Sarah Lenthall on if there was any clinical evidence for amanita phalloides poisoning or any other toxin, Dr Muldoon responded; “no”.

She told the court she was tasked with sending remnants of the beef Wellington meal, retrieved from Ms Patterson’s bin, to a mycologist at the Royal Botanical Gardens.

The court was shown a photo depicting pastry with a small amount of brown material separated from the rest of the dish.

Another doctor at Monash Health, Dr Varuna Ruggoo, said Dr Muldoon’s notes said there were “no concerns” about poisoning.

“She wrote in her notes there were no concerns about that kind of poisoning because liver tests were all in normal limits,” she said.

Why mushroom murder trial didn’t sit on Monday

Jurors in the weeks-long trial were told on Thursday last week by trial judge Justice Christopher Beale that they’d be getting a long weekend as a measure expected to save time.

“I’ve just been having a discussion with counsel about the way the case is progressing and the way that we can save some time and we can best achieve that by not sitting on Monday,” he said.

“There are things happening behind the scenes to try and condense the material that will be presented to you and if Monday is devoted to that rather than you sitting here in court listening to some evidence, I expect the case will conclude earlier.”

Ms Patterson is facing trial after pleading not guilty to three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder relating to a fatal lunch she hosted at her home in Leongatha, a small dairy town in Victoria, on July 29, 2023.

Her husband’s parents Don and Gail Patterson, both 70, and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, 66, died after consuming death cap mushrooms inside a beef wellington that Ms Patterson served.

Ms Wilkinson’s husband Ian Wilkinson, 71, survived after a long stint in hospital.

Ms Patterson’s defence counsel says she did not intentionally or deliberately poison anyone, calling the deaths a tragic accident, and that she too fell sick after eating the lunch.

The trial, now in its third week, continues.