Erin Patterson, 50, is accused of murdering her in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, after allegedly serving them a beef Wellington lunch made with death cap mushrooms.
Patterson is also accused of attempting to murder Heather’s husband, pastor Ian Wilkinson, who survived the lunch after spending several weeks in an intensive care unit.
The court heard Patterson’s estranged husband, Simon, was also invited to the gathering at her home in Leongatha, in Victoria’s Gippsland region, but didn’t attend.
Witnesses told the jury Patterson ate her serving from a smaller, differently-coloured plate than those of her guests, who ate off four grey plates.
Patterson told authorities she bought dried mushrooms from an unnamed Asian store in the Monash area of Melbourne, but health inspectors could find no evidence of this.
Victoria’s health department said the death cap mushroom poisoning was ‘isolated’ to Patterson’s deadly lunch.
Multiple witnesses, including Erin’s estranged husband, Heather’s husband and other family members, have given emotion-charged evidence to the jury.
Medical staff have told the jury of the painful symptoms the dying lunch guests and Mr Wilkinson suffered.
An expert witness told the court that death cap mushrooms were detected in debris taken from a dehydrator Patterson had dumped at a local tip.
Telecommunications expert Dr Matthew Sorell also told the jury Patterson’s phone was detected near areas at Outtrim and Loch, in the Gippsland region, where death cap mushrooms had been spotted.
Victoria Police Cybercrime Squad senior digital forensics officer Shamen Fox-Henry said he found evidence of a death cap mushroom on data from a computer seized from Patterson’s Leongatha home on August 5, 2023.
On Friday, Austin Hospital intensive care director Professor Stephen Warrillow told the jury he was at the Melbourne health facility in July 2023 when the poisoned lunch guests were transferred to his care.
Professor Warrillow said all patients were given intense treatment and Don received a liver transplant.
Ian Wilkinson sat in court and listened as details of how his wife died from death cap poisoning were aired in court.
The jury also heard the text exchanges between health department officer Sally Anne Atkinson and Patterson in the days after the deadly lunch as authorities rushed to get answers.
On Tuesday, the jury was shown the police interview Patterson took part in shortly after her home was searched on August 5.
Detectives seized a manual for a Sunbeam hydrator but Patterson denied in her interview that she had ever owned such an appliance.
Patterson also told police she invited her in-laws for lunch because she loved them and they were like real family to her.
Homicide Squad detective leading Senior Constable Stephen Eppingstall told the court officers searched for a Samsung Galaxy A23 – known as ‘Phone A’ – but it was never found.
Sen-Constable Eppingstall also said another Samsung Galaxy A23 – known as ‘Phone B’ – was factory reset multiple times including while police searched Patterson’s Leongatha home.
He said Phone B was later remotely wiped while it was kept in a secure locker at the Homicide Squad headquarters in Melbourne.
The jury also heard Patterson’s family had a history of cancer and her daughter had a benign ovarian cancer cyst removed.
On Thursday, lead defence barrister Colin Mandy SC (pictured) suggested to Sen-Constable Eppingstall that a photo taken during the Leongatha police search depicted the mysterious Phone A.
Mr Mandy also highlighted other devices he suggested police failed to seize including laptops and a USB stick.
Later, the jury heard Facebook messages between Patterson and her online friends in which they discussed Simon, pets and the death of actress Kirstie Alley.
The jury also heard Signal messages between Don and Erin in which Don and Gail (pictured) wished Patterson well and also prayed for her health.
On Friday, the jury heard more messages between Erin, Don, Gail and Simon.
They discussed Patterson’s health and Don also offered to help tutor Erin’s son.
Erin also praised Gail in another message.
‘Happy Mother’s Day to the best mother-in-law anyone could ever ask for,’ Erin wrote.
